GNU Readline is a library that provides a set of functions for use by applications that allow users to edit command lines as they are typed in. Both Emacs and vi editing modes are available. The Readline library includes additional functions to maintain a list of previously-entered command lines, to recall and perhaps reedit those lines, and perform csh-like history expansion on previous commands.

The history facilities are also placed into a separate library, the History library, as part of the build process. The History library may be used without Readline in applications which desire its capabilities.

INSTALLATION:

To build the library, try typing `./configure', then `make'. The configuration process is automated, so no further intervention should be necessary. Readline builds with `gcc' by default if it is available. If you want to use `cc' instead, type

CC=cc ./configure

if you are using a Bourne-style shell. If you are not, the following may work:

env CC=cc ./configure

What's New in This Release:

· Fixed a problem that caused segmentation faults when using readline in callback mode and typing consecutive DEL characters on an empty line.
· Fixed several redisplay problems with multibyte characters, all having to do with the different code paths and variable meanings between single-byte and multibyte character redisplay.
· Fixed a problem with key sequence translation when presented with the sequence M-C-x.
· Fixed a problem that prevented the `a' command in vi mode from being undone and redone properly.
· Fixed a problem that prevented empty inserts in vi mode from being undone properly.
· Fixed a problem that caused readline to initialize with an incorrect idea of whether or not the terminal can autowrap.
· Fixed output of key bindings (like bash `bind -p') to honor the setting of convert-meta and use e where appropriate.
· Changed the default filename completion function to call the filename dequoting function if the directory completion hook isn't set. This means that any directory completion hooks need to dequote the directory name, since application-specific hooks need to know how the word was quoted, even if no other changes are made.
· Fixed a bug with creating the prompt for a non-interactive search string when there are non-printing characters in the primary prompt.
· Fixed a bug that caused prompts with invisible characters to be redrawn multiple times in a multibyte locale.
· Fixed a bug that could cause the key sequence scanning code to return the wrong function.
· Fixed a problem with the callback interface that caused it to fail when using multi-character keyboard macros.