General Info

The nShell™ uses external code resources for most commands.  The commands which are built into the nShell application are those used for basic navigation: cd, pwd, path, which, and so on.  (Type “which command” at the nShell prompt to see where a command resides.)

Because the bulk of the commands are stored externally in the :bin directory, you can modify or replace them to fit your preferences.  The usual technique is to create a new directory called "custom" and set your path to “:/$HOMEcustom/$HOMEbin”.  This will cause nShell to search the "custom" directory for each command (after it searches the current directory and before it looks in "bin").

External commands are very closely tied to the nShell application.  For this reason, the “Command Interface” section of this manual should be followed very carefully when writing commands.

We have included source code for several commands using Symantec’s THINK C.

Technical notes are also available which explain how to write nShell commands using Metrowerk's CodeWarrior and Symantec's THINK Pascal.

Distributing Your Commands

When you write new nShell commands, you may copyright them in your name and distribute them in any manner you wish.  You may choose to distribute commands as freeware, shareware, or as commercial products.