iSeries QSHELL

iSeries QSHELL is a command line interpreter (shell) running on the IBM iSeries computer platform. Qshell is based on POSIX and X/Open standards. IBM created the Qshell interpreter primarily to provide support for the Java Development Kit (JDK) on their iSeries line of computers. The Qshell interpreter can be used interactively or for running shell scripts.

Differences from other shells

Qshell differs from other shell environments in a number of ways:^[1]

• No support for job control
• No support for the <> redirection operator (though the QIBM_QSH_CMD_OUTPUT environment variable can be used to redirect output^[2])
• No support for command line editing (Command retrieval and editing is handled at an abstraction level between user and shell.)
• The number of command-line arguments is limited to 255

Compared to PASE, another shell on the iSeries computer

According to IBM, QSHELL is a “UNIX-like” interface built over OS/400. The commands you issue point to programs in a “QSHELL” library. To use QSHELL, key STRQSH or QSH on an iSeries command line, or pass a command string to the QSH command, or use UNIXCMD, an open-source utility created by Scott Klement which allows the execution of QShell commands through an RPG special file.^[3]

PASE is a “real” UNIX — it is actually AIX. It looks similar to QSHELL, but doesn’t have some of the limitations built into QSHELL. To use PASE, CALL QP2TERM.

Further reading

• Holt, Ted. Qshell for iSeries. ISBN 1-58347-046-8. 

See also

• Comparison of computer shells

References

External links

• Qshell in the IBM iSeries Information Center
• Exploring iSeries QSHELL