Termux-packages: How do I get Termux to recall commands from previous sessions?

[jdrch]

Just wondering the above. Also, is there a way to store a list of frequently used commands?

[xeffyr]

It is possible to show frequently used commands.
For example:

awk '{print $1}' ~/.zsh_history | sort | uniq -c | sort -nr | head -n 5

For me it gives output:

    530 ls
    320 nano
    299 cd
    144 git
    130 ag

[SDRausty]

@jdrch good issue beginner command line issue. Refences regarding this issue https://duckduckgo.com/?q=beginning+command+line+site%3Atldp.org at these links about beginning with the Linux CLI (Command Line Interface) in Termux on Android, Chromebook and Fire OS.

@xeffyr thank you for posting this cool one-liner:
[18:29 ~ ]$ awk '{print $1}' ~/.bash_history | sort | uniq -c | sort -nr | head -n 5 for Termux.

These are interesting results:

     70 e
     52 l
     38 startarch
     29 mv
     28 pkg

Curiosity makes me wonder about the personal impact of the results of this command for Termux on Linux device users.

[jdrch]

Thanks guys, but what I meant is the ability to access commands from a previous session upon starting a new session by using the up arrow as done on Linux desktops.

[xeffyr]

Commands from previous sessions are saved in history file. In bash this file called .bash_history, in zsh you have to set it manually.

[xeffyr]

using the up arrow

Up arrow is not workin in Termux ? I'm using Termux on smartphone, so I have to type volumeup+w to get previous command. If your keyboard has an arrows, they should work.

[jdrch]

If your keyboard has an arrows, they should work.

@xeffyr That's what I thought too, but when I press the up arrow the app vibrates to tell me that keypress isn't accepted. I'm using SwiftKey Beta.

[Quasic]

I use Ctrl+P (previous) and Ctrl+N (next) and it remembers the last closed session. (Up arrow works on my CodeBoard and Terminal IDE keyboards in both orientations, and wide Hackers Keyboard, though I don't use them as much.)

[jdrch]

@Quasic Awesome. How do I use Ctrl on software keyboards like SwiftKey?

[Quasic]

@jdrch, I downloaded SwiftKey Beta 6.7.4.24, and up arrow works for me. I didn't find Ctrl as an option, but termux let's you use the volume down button, or you can swipe from the left side and long press the keyboard button for a row of keys including Ctrl.

[jdrch]

@Quasic I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong then. Even using BeHe keyboard, touching the up arrow upon launching Termux does not retrieve commands from previous sessions.

[Quasic]

@jdrch, does it recall commands from the current session, but not prior sessions, or is any history remembered? Have you used chsh to switch the login shell to non-bash or set bash to not save .bash_history to disk?
When I delete the history file, it vibrates when I press up or CTRL+P in the next session.

[jdrch]

does it recall commands from the current session, but not prior sessions

This is exactly what it does.

Have you used chsh to switch the login shell to non-bash or set bash to not save .bash_history to disk?

I've never to my knowledge changed any Termux settings. The only things I've done since installing are installing coreutils, findutils, and Termux:Task.

it vibrates when I press up or CTRL+P in the next session.

This is exactly what I'm experiencing.

[Quasic]

It sounds like ~/.bash_history isn't getting saved. Try these commands:

echo $HISTFILE should print /data/data/com.termux/files/home/.bash_history or another valid path to your history file

ls -al ~/.bash_history should start with -rw and have the same owner as other files in that folder, not root or anyone else. Also try ls -al $HISTFILE in case the above is different.

[jdrch]

Here's what I did and what happened:

$ echo $HISTFILE
/data/data/com.termux/files/home/.bash_history
$ ls -al ~/.bash_history
ls: cannot access '/data/data/com.termux/files/home/.bash_history': No such file or directory
$ ls -al /data/data/com.termux/files/home/.bash_history
ls: cannot access '/data/data/com.termux/files/home/.bash_history': No such file or directory

Any ideas?

[SDRausty]

@jdrch Try touch ~/.bash_history. This may resolve your issue. Is your device rooted?

[jdrch]

No it isn't rooted.

[SDRausty]

@jdrch That is good news.

Try touch ~/.bash_history. This may resolve your issue.

Is your ls -al output still the same? If it is, try rm ~/.bash_history then touch ~/.bash_history.

[jdrch]

I did the touch ~/.bash_history command, which results in ls -al producing:

total 12
drwx------ 3 u0_a330 u0_a330 4096 Jan 21 22:34 .
drwx------ 4 u0_a330 u0_a330 4096 Dec 24 09:24 ..
-rw------- 1 u0_a330 u0_a330    0 Jan 21 22:34 .bash_history
drwx------ 3 u0_a330 u0_a330 4096 Jan  3 09:25 .termux

However even after that, touching the up arrow upon starting Termux doesn't recall commands from previous sessions. What's the next step in the process?

[SDRausty]

-rw------- 1 u0_a330 u0_a330 0 Jan 21 22:34 .bash_history

How do you exit your Termux sessions? What command do you use?

touching the up arrow

Are you using the physical volumeUp key + w?

[jdrch]

I use the Exit button in the notifications. Is there something else I should be using instead?

[SDRausty]

Try using: exit and logout to leave a session.
From http://www.tldp.org/LDP/intro-linux/html/sect_02_02.html

[jdrch]

That worked! Thanks so much!

[Maruh]

I simply tried the combination; Volume Up + w key, and it brought out the extra keyboard keys.

[xeffyr]

Closing since this more about shell scripting and command history functionality.

[SosEquus]

NOTE* I use keyboard(bluetooth), and commands fail to be saved in .bash_history.
P.S went into it when i needed to find my installed packages for the latest program...

[Nithanka]

How can reopen the closed session in termux!!
Plz tell,,,,

[xeffyr]

How can reopen the closed session in termux!!

How I can get thing that no longer exists? Answer: create a new one ;)