Configure Emacs to view cmd output and screen scrollback

[xuhdev]

In ~/.local/bin/emacs-pager.sh:

#!/bin/sh

t=$(mktemp "/tmp/$USER/.emacs-pager.XXXXXXX") || exit 1
cat - > $t
echo 'reading into emacs...'
emacsclient --tty --alternate-editor '' "$t"
rm -f -- $t

In kitty.conf:

map kitty_mod+g launch --stdin-source=@last_cmd_output --type=overlay ${HOME}/.local/bin/emacs-pager.sh
map kitty_mod+j launch --stdin-source=@first_cmd_output_on_screen --type=overlay ${HOME}/.local/bin/emacs-pager.sh
map kitty_mod+h launch --stdin-source=@screen_scrollback --type=overlay ${HOME}/.local/bin/emacs-pager.sh

Now kitty_mod+g, kitty_mod+j, kitty_mod+h start emacs and show last command output/first command output on screen/the whole scrollback!

Credit: Script inspired by https://write.as/mnmlmnl/tid-setting-emacsclient-up-as-a-pager-with-kitty

[kovidgoyal]

If you use bash or zsh instead you can have the shell manage the temp file for you with something like

emacsclient --tty --alternate-editor '' <(cat /dev/stdin)

The you dont need emacs-pager.sh at all you can just do:

map kitty_mod+g launch --stdin-source=@last_cmd_output --type=overlay zsh -c "emacsclient --tty --alternate-editor '' <(cat /dev/stdin)"

[xuhdev]

I'm getting the "File exists, but cannot be read" error on Linux. Not sure why though...