Why JBoss CLI throws ERROR parsing ? keys to aesh. Check your inputrc ?

Environment

• Red Hat JBoss Enterprise Application Platform (EAP)
  • 6.x

Issue

• When having .inputrc file in home directory with the following content:

# Control characters
"\C-?":   backward-delete-char

• Getting the following ERROR Stacktrace in starting jboss-cli.sh:

[user@user bin]$ ./jboss-cli.sh -c
java.lang.RuntimeException: ERROR parsing ? keys to aesh. Check your inputrc.
	at org.jboss.aesh.edit.mapper.KeyMapper.convertRandomControlKeys(KeyMapper.java:161)
	at org.jboss.aesh.edit.mapper.KeyMapper.mapRandomKeys(KeyMapper.java:138)
	at org.jboss.aesh.edit.mapper.KeyMapper.mapKeys(KeyMapper.java:108)
	at org.jboss.aesh.edit.mapper.KeyMapper.mapQuoteKeys(KeyMapper.java:49)
	at org.jboss.aesh.console.Config.parseInputrc(Config.java:127)
	at org.jboss.aesh.console.Console.reset(Console.java:150)
	at org.jboss.aesh.console.Console.<init>(Console.java:105)
	at org.jboss.aesh.console.Console.<init>(Console.java:101)
	at org.jboss.as.cli.impl.Console$Factory.getConsole(Console.java:85)
	at org.jboss.as.cli.impl.Console$Factory.getConsole(Console.java:78)
	at org.jboss.as.cli.impl.CommandContextImpl.initBasicConsole(CommandContextImpl.java:354)
	at org.jboss.as.cli.impl.CommandContextImpl.<init>(CommandContextImpl.java:294)
	at org.jboss.as.cli.impl.CommandContextFactoryImpl.newCommandContext(CommandContextFactoryImpl.java:76)
	at org.jboss.as.cli.impl.CliLauncher.initCommandContext(CliLauncher.java:279)
	at org.jboss.as.cli.impl.CliLauncher.main(CliLauncher.java:262)
	at org.jboss.as.cli.CommandLineMain.main(CommandLineMain.java:34)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method)
	at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:39)
	at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:25)
	at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:597)
	at org.jboss.modules.Module.run(Module.java:312)
	at org.jboss.modules.Main.main(Main.java:460)

Resolution

• If user tries to use the "?" as a control character in the /home/users/.inputrc file then jboss-cli.sh utility startup throws the above mentioned ERROR parsing ? keys to aesh. Check your inputrc. ERROR message in the output.

• As per JBoss Aesh API Content from github.com is not included.KeyMapper.java class, only some of the characters are allowed intentionally as lookupControlKey does not include the "?". Hence when the ".inputrc" file is containing the "?" as control character then users face this issue.

• If it is must for the users to use the "?" as a control character then user need to follow the below procedure:

• In the terminal where user is planning to run the jboss-cli.sh script, Specify the user.home system property to some other existing directory which does not include the .inputrc file like following and then try starting the jboss-cli.sh script (Please make sure that the directory should exist which user has specified in the user.home variable):

export JAVA_OPTS="-Duser.home=/home/user/test $JAVA_OPTS"
cd jboss-eap-6.3.2/bin
./jboss-cli.sh -c

• The history of the running commands will be stored inside the ${user.home}/.jboss-cli-history directory now.

• If user do not want to set the JAVA_OPTS every time before starting the jboss-cli script then users can also try editing the jboss-eap-6.3.2/bin/jboss-cli.sh file and add the JAVA_OPTS export statement in this file somewhere above the last line like this:

export JAVA_OPTS="-Duser.home=/home/jsensharma/test $JAVA_OPTS"
eval \"$JAVA\" $JAVA_OPTS \"-Dlogging.configuration=file:$JBOSS_HOME/bin/jboss-cli-logging.properties\" -jar \"$JBOSS_HOME/jboss-modules.jar\" -mp \"${JBOSS_MODULEPATH}\" org.jboss.as.cli '"$@"'

This solution is part of Red Hat’s fast-track publication program, providing a huge library of solutions that Red Hat engineers have created while supporting our customers. To give you the knowledge you need the instant it becomes available, these articles may be presented in a raw and unedited form.