README.md

Pty4J - Pseudo terminal(PTY) implementation in Java.

This is a Java implementation of PTY. Written in JNA with native code to make fork of a process.

It is based on two projects that provide the same functionality: JPty and elt.

While JPty is pretty good and written using only JNA it suffers from a hang on Mac OS X when Java is under debug (jawi/JPty#2), because fork doesn't work well in java.

elt works ok, but it has mostly native code(using JNI).

So this one is a mix of the other two: a port of elt to JNA in the style it is made in JPty with only fork and process exec written in native.

Also pty4j implements java interface for pty for windows, using WinPty library.

Dependencies

This library depends on JTermios, part of the PureJavaComm library found at https://github.com/nyholku/purejavacomm. Pty4j depends on the version of PureJavaComm, not uploaded to the maven central. It'a available as org.jetbrains.pty4j:purejavacomm.

Windows pty implementation used here is the magnificent WinPty library written by Ryan Prichard: https://github.com/rprichard/winpty

Adding Pty4J to your build

The releases are uploaded to org.jetbrains.pty4j:pty4j. Please click on the "Set Me Up!" button there and follow the instructions.

Maven

  <dependencies>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>org.jetbrains.pty4j</groupId>
      <artifactId>pty4j</artifactId>
      <version>0.8.6</version>
    </dependency>
  </dependencies>

  <repositories>
    <repository>
      <id>bintray-jetbrains-pty4j</id>
      <name>bintray</name>
      <url>https://jetbrains.bintray.com/pty4j</url>
    </repository>
  </repositories>

Gradle

repositories {
  maven {
    url  "https://jetbrains.bintray.com/pty4j"
  }
}

// or use jcenter
// repositories {
//   jcenter()
// }

dependencies {
    compile 'org.jetbrains.pty4j:pty4j:0.8.6'
}

Usage

Using this library is relatively easy:

// The command to run in a PTY...
String[] cmd = { "/bin/sh", "-l" };
// The initial environment to pass to the PTY child process...
String[] env = { "TERM=xterm" };

PtyProcess pty = PtyProcess.exec(cmd, env);

OutputStream os = pty.getOutputStream();
InputStream is = pty.getInputStream();

// ... work with the streams ...

// wait until the PTY child process terminates...
int result = pty.waitFor();

The operating systems currently supported by pty4j are: Linux, OSX and Windows.

Note that this library is not yet fully tested on all platforms.

Changes

0.8 | 28-08-2018 | Native binaries are bundled into pty4j.jar
0.7 | 14-06-2016 | Updated to match the new winpty API
0.6 | 08-02-2016 | Correct NamedPipe usage for winpty
                   FreeBSD support
0.5 | 28-09-2015 | Supports JNA 4.1, Cygwin support, fixes
0.4 | 13-01-2015 | Fixes
0.3 | 16-08-2013 | Native code for fork and process exec.
0.2 | 03-08-2013 | Linux and Windows supported.
0.1 | 20-07-2013 | Initial version.

License

The code in this library is licensed under Eclipse Public License, version 1.0 and can be found online at: http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html.