Re: yet another rookie question M-x shell

[Kevin Rodgers]

billy wrote:
> I have no problem getting a shell to work.
> How do I get more than one shell available?
> M-x returns me to the same shell each time.

,----[ C-h f shell RET ]
| shell is an interactive compiled Lisp function in `shell'.
| (shell &optional BUFFER)
|
| Run an inferior shell, with I/O through BUFFER (which defaults to 
`*shell*').
| Interactively, a prefix arg means to prompt for BUFFER.
| If BUFFER exists but shell process is not running, make new shell.

The sentence above means `C-u M-x shell RET' does what you want.

| If BUFFER exists and shell process is running, just switch to BUFFER.
| Program used comes from variable `explicit-shell-file-name',
|  or (if that is nil) from the ESHELL environment variable,
|  or else from SHELL if there is no ESHELL.
| If a file `~/.emacs_SHELLNAME' exists, it is given as initial input
|  (Note that this may lose due to a timing error if the shell
|   discards input when it starts up.)
| The buffer is put in Shell mode, giving commands for sending input
| and controlling the subjobs of the shell.  See `shell-mode'.
| See also the variable `shell-prompt-pattern'.
|
| To specify a coding system for converting non-ASCII characters
| in the input and output to the shell, use C-x RET c
| before M-x shell.  You can also specify this with C-x RET p
| in the shell buffer, after you start the shell.
| The default comes from `process-coding-system-alist' and
| `default-process-coding-system'.
|
| The shell file name (sans directories) is used to make a symbol name
| such as `explicit-csh-args'.  If that symbol is a variable,
| its value is used as a list of arguments when invoking the shell.
| Otherwise, one argument `-i' is passed to the shell.
|
| (Type C-h m in the shell buffer for a list of commands.)
`----

--
Kevin Rodgers