Re: Cat-ting binary files to the console

[will trillich <will@serensoft.com>]

On Thu, Feb 08, 2001 at 11:18:34AM -0600, Benjamin Pharr wrote:
> Every once in a while I slip up at cat a binary file to the console. (Or 
> just forget to give mkisofs the -o flag.)  This causes the console to use 
> WEIRD characters, just plain gibberish.  Is there any way to get rid of 
> this without rebooting?  Thanks!

this is a variation on the theme: put control-O into your PROMPT
string to reset your character set after every command:

	# bash
	set PS1="^V^O whatever> "
	# csh
	setenv prompt="^V^O something> "

the ^V tells your command shell 'the next character is verbatim,
don't do whatever you normally would with it' and the ^O is a
standard 'reset the display character set' for ansi-like terminal
emulators.

there's probably a sane modular/universal way of doing this...

-- 
It is always hazardous to ask "Why?" in science, but it is often
interesting to do so just the same.
		-- Isaac Asimov, 'The Genetic Code'

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