amtm amtm - the Asuswrt-Merlin Terminal Menu

[thelonelycoder]

#update - changes completed

After install it does not enter the script automatically but instead lists the methods available if a user wishes to do so.
The general use case is that the script doesn't require modification after install.

Entering the script and defining custom rules/rates is intended only for power users.

The general setup of non-configurable improvements is sufficient for most users.

Two more things:
1) To be able to read your verbiage after install it would be good to give the user time to read it. I can use my press_enter_to() prompt in amtm or you could add another (Press any key to return) to your script.
In my local dev version I have this before it returns after install:

press_enter_to "return to amtm menu"

I can leave mine in and prefer it, just then make sure to not add your own version as well as it would double the prompts. This way non-amtm users (those that still manually install your script) will have it as their last line in the terminal and amtm users get a familiar prompt and experience.

2) Please don't erase the terminal history with your 'clear' version(s). I like to scroll up to see what's been printed to the screen, looking for success or errors.
With your version you erase all history.
Use a simple 'clear' command instead. Thanks.
If you must unset variables, use 'unset variableName' or the simpler version I use: 'variableName='

 

[FreshJR]

I can use my press_enter_to() prompt in amtm

I was supposed to mention that. I perfer that way too and that was the intended behavior.

As you noticed:

Running ANY command directly, will not prompt the (Press any key to continue) message upon completion.

Returning from any sub-command launched from the interactive menu, WILL prompt the (Press any key to continue) before clearing the screen and returning.

Since you are running -install parameter directly, the lack of a blocking input prompt was the intended design action. It wont change in future version so have no worries about consistency.

Please don't erase the terminal history with your 'clear' version(s).
I like to scroll up to see what's been printed to the screen, looking for success or errors.

I only used clear + clear scrollback on a select few locations.


1) Entering Main Menu
2) -->Entering submenu rule modication
3) -->-->Entering sub-submenu IP rule modification
4) -->-->Entering sub-submenu Game rule modification
5) -->-->Entering sub-submenu AppDB rule modification
6) -->Entering submenu rates modifcation
7) -->Entering submenu About Screen
8) -->Entering submenu Update Screen

From the above

1-7) Have zero chance at producing errors (even when saving data)

8) Update submenu does have potential to produce errors, but there is ample time to read the errors since the clear+clearscrollback occurs AFTER pressing any key to continue.

The uninstall submenu does NOT clear the screen or scrollback after uninstall.
The direct -uninstall command also does NOT clear the screen or scrollback.
The direct -install command does clear the screen but does NOT clear scrollback

Which behavior annoyed you?

 

[thelonelycoder]

Which behavior annoyed you?

Preventing scrollback in general. It not only disables it for FreshJR but for all previous actions done on the terminal.
Say I was using amtm to open Diversion, then return to amtm and open FreshJR then scroll up is disabled.
I use the scroll up extensively for my purposes. I don't like it to be disabled by a script, at all.

 

[FreshJR]

I am of the opposite thought.

While doing something, if it doesn’t bug out right away, I don’t want to see it again or even have it clutter up my scroll bar.

I personally use clear + clear back so much I have it as an alias set for cl

—

What you want could be done but do you want

1) to have endless FreshJR menu prompts repeating and available history

Or

2) Do you want me to clear only the scroll back pertinent to FreshJR instead (respecting the prexisting terminal session)

 

[thelonelycoder]

I am of the opposite thought.

While doing something, if it doesn’t bug out right away, I don’t want to see it again or even have it clutter up my scroll bar.

I personally use clear + clear back so much I have it as an alias set for cl

—

What you want could be done but do you want

1) to have endless FreshJR menu prompts repeating and available history

Or

2) Do you want me to clear only the scroll back pertinent to FreshJR instead (respecting the prexisting terminal session)

I just don't want scroll up blocked at all. This is non-negotiable.
I see no reason to block it. None of the other scripts here use that limiting operation. 'clear' does that sufficiently in my opinion. And gives you the possibility to scroll up regardless of the scripts outcome.

 

[FreshJR]

So #1 or #2 both work, lol.

I’ll try it out and push an update if it works ok.

Just FYI, it also disables linewrap.

Linewrap is re-enabled upon normal exit, but if you terminate the scrip forcefully, it will stay disabled... is that an issue.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I’ll try it out and push an update if it works ok.

Why woud it not? clear just clears the screen and moves the current output to the top of the terminal. This is standard behavior and should not have any negative impact.

Linewrap is re-enabled upon normal exit, but if you terminate the scrip forcefully, it will stay disabled... is that an issue.

What's the enable line wrap command you use? I'll add it to amtm after any FresJR operations.

 

[FreshJR]

Why woud it not? clear just clears the screen and moves the current output to the top of the terminal. This is standard behavior and should not have any negative impact.

I draw over the screen instead or reprinting it completely where applicable (It’s much quicker).

With scrollback enabled, if a user scrolls up and then submits input, the redraw might happen over the wrong area and the page will be garbled.

With scrollback disabled, the current screen was more or less anchored to the top.

Need to test it.

 

[thelonelycoder]

I draw over the screen instead or reprinting it completely where applicable (It’s much quicker).

With scrollback enabled, if a user scrolls up and then submits input, the redraw might happen over the wrong area and the page will be garbled.

With scrollback disabled, the current screen was more or less anchored to the top.

Need to test it.

Never had that happen to me, the input prompt is always at the bottom of the screen. Always has. If one clicks into the scrolled up content and writes there this is user intended and in case of failure can be dealt with as an PEBKAC explanation.
As I said, limiting the scroll up possibility is non-negotiable to be included in amtm.

 

[L&LD]

FreshJR and thelonelycoder,

I just want to add my thoughts here. Being new to these scripts I was very happy to (recently) discover that I could scroll back seemingly infinitely in a PuTTY session when I was discovering amtm and the other great scripts. Great for comparing or jogging my memory of past output and also for saving a few keystrokes when I just needed to use the up arrow to re-use a command at the main prompt.

FreshJR, I can understand how you want things for your script on your router and computers, but I think the asks of thelonelycoder are fair and the better defaults, and I'm sure that many users, including myself now, depend on that behavior.

Looking forward to your script being included soon!

Thank you both for your contributions and to everyone else contributing in their own way too!

 

[elorimer]

I would suggest to uniformly use "e" to exit from all (sub) menus, not just the main menu.

A very small thing, but I think the scripts should also list "e" as an entry option at a (sub) menu. I notice, for example, that Skynet uses "e" to back up a level, but lists "Enter 1-12:" or something similar instead of "Enter 1-12 or e to exit:"

 

[thelonelycoder]

A very small thing, but I think the scripts should also list "e" as an entry option at a (sub) menu. I notice, for example, that Skynet uses "e" to back up a level, but lists "Enter 1-12:" or something similar instead of "Enter 1-12 or e to exit:"

Yes, Skynet uses 'e' as a hidden option to back out.
I like consistency and may have set the bar high with my way of visual and logical coding in AB-Solution, amtm and now Diversion.

 

[thelonelycoder]

(...) when I just needed to use the up arrow to re-use a command at the main prompt

Remember that Diversion keeps the shell history commands.
When logging in, just use the up arrow to iterate through your last commands.

 

[FreshJR]

A very small thing, but I think the scripts should also list "e" as an entry option at a (sub) menu. I notice, for example, that Skynet uses "e" to back up a level, but lists "Enter 1-12:" or something similar instead of "Enter 1-12 or e to exit:"

I too perfered would of preferred ‘e’ as as a hidden input, knowing it’s an option.

I did change the parsed input and prompts to only show and accept ‘e’ to meet amtm compliance but deep down I few like numpad0 better. It allowed for one hand operation and visually printed onto the screen cleaner..

If I knew having ‘e’ as hidden option was okay, I would implement that instead.

Enter 1-12:
—looks okay
Enter 1-12 or s to save&exit or e to exit:
— looks unwieldy

You can’t please everyone, but at that point I would just have the prompt say

Make a selection:

And let the user figure it out. It’s not rocket science to put two and two together.

( Still no update posted about the clear scroll topic. Still need to mess around with it when I get a chance )

 

[Kingp1n]

I tried to reformat my USB using amtm but it cldnt be unmounted. I did a search here on troubleshooting but wld it be easier to reformat on my PC?

 

[Therion87]

I tried to reformat my USB using amtm but it cldnt be unmounted. I did a search here on troubleshooting but wld it be easier to reformat on my PC?

You have to have all amtm services uninstalled and not running including swap.

If something is holding the disk it will fail

 

[L&LD]

I tried to reformat my USB using amtm but it cldnt be unmounted. I did a search here on troubleshooting but wld it be easier to reformat on my PC?

Try to safely eject it from the GUI in the router and then try formatting it again.

 

[Zonkd]

I tried to reformat my USB using amtm but it cldnt be unmounted. I did a search here on troubleshooting but wld it be easier to reformat on my PC?

Answered in the wiki.

https://github.com/RMerl/asuswrt-merlin/wiki/Disk-formatting#device-or-resource-is-busy

 

[Zonkd]

Try to safely eject it from the GUI in the router and then try formatting it again.

This wouldn’t work because AMTM won’t be able to find any disk that is ejected via web GUI.

 

[jsbeddow]

This wouldn’t work because AMTM won’t be able to find any disk that is ejected via web GUI.

I don't believe this to be true, it seems to me that this is exactly the procedure that I had to follow one time when running the built-in format tool in amtm. I needed to first unmount the disk in the GUI in order for the format tool to complete the operation.