Environment Variables

A new feature of ssh-chat is the ability to define locally what settings you would like to have in your ssh-chat session before connecting. The ssh-chat server will interpret your local variables and change settings to match yours accordingly (if they can be matched).

SSHCHAT_THEME

The simplest variable is the SSHCHAT_THEME variable which allows you to define what theme you would like for your session. This can be defined to match any theme defined within ssh-chat, so for example to connect using the solarized theme, which is normally activated by running /theme solarized, you can instead do the following:

$ SSHCHAT_THEME=solarized ssh -i my_id_file username@ssh.chat

Upon joining, your session's theme will automatically be solarized. This works for all themes (mono, colors, hacker, solarized, etc).

SSHCHAT_TIMESTAMP

ssh-chat supports the ability to log messages with a datetime stamp next to each received message. This behavior is enabled by running a /timestamp command within the chat. It can be turned on before connecting by doing the following:

$ SSHCHAT_TIMESTAMP=1 ssh -i my_id_file username@ssh.chat

It also supports the ability to pre-load a datetime format as well.

TERM

The TERM variable is meant to enable specific modes of ssh-chat which changes how messages are displayed when received. Currently, only a bot mode is supported right now, which makes it easier for programs to be created to read messages from ssh-chat without having to interpret ANSI codes.

To turn on a specific mode, you can run the following:

$ TERM=bot ssh -i my_id_file username@ssh.chat