# The standard terminal commands has disappeared in irb **URL:** \ **Category:** Ruby\ **Created:** [September 14, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-standard-terminal-commands-has-disappeared-in-irb/175475 "2009-09-14T14:12:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/polunochnik)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-standard-terminal-commands-has-disappeared-in-irb/175475/1 "2009-09-14T14:12:52Z")
Hi. When I use the irb console the standard terminal key-commands such as Ctrl+l to clear the screen, ↑ or ↓ to select the previous commands doesn’t work. What is the reason of this issue? How can I fix it? Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.3, Ruby 1.9.1, IRB 0.9.5. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/polunochnik)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-standard-terminal-commands-has-disappeared-in-irb/175475/2 "2009-09-14T16:33:22Z")
Hi, Am Montag, 14. Sep 2009, 21:12:54 +0900 schrieb P. A.: > When I use the irb console the standard terminal key-commands such as > Ctrl+l to clear the screen, ↑ or ↓ to select the previous commands > doesn’t work. > > What is the reason of this issue? How can I fix it? > > Debian GNU/Linux 5.0.3, Ruby 1.9.1, IRB 0.9.5. `readline’ installed and working? $ dpkg -l | grep readline or irb(main):001:0\> require “readline” Bertram ---
**Author:** ![polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/polunochnik)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 5:09pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-standard-terminal-commands-has-disappeared-in-irb/175475/3 "2009-09-14T17:09:26Z")
I have the development package for Readline called libreadline-dev on my system. I haven’t got the Readline Ruby library (no such file to load – readline (LoadError)). Should I recompile the Ruby with the Readline extension included? Will irb work then? ---
**Author:** ![polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/polunochnik)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-standard-terminal-commands-has-disappeared-in-irb/175475/4 "2009-09-14T18:27:31Z")
P. A. wrote: > I have the development package for Readline called libreadline-dev on my > system. I haven’t got the Readline Ruby library (no such file to load – > readline (LoadError)). Should I recompile the Ruby with the Readline > extension included? Will irb work then? Yes, but you don’t need to rebuild all of ruby. Just go into ext/readline and run ruby extconf.rb make make install #(as root if needed) (and you may want to check out the recent thread about .irbrc files for some neat tricks) ---
**Author:** ![polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/polunochnik)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-standard-terminal-commands-has-disappeared-in-irb/175475/5 "2009-09-14T19:24:32Z")
I’ve just finished installation the Readline extension using your instructions. The realine.so library was installed in \/ruby-1.9.1/lib/ruby/site\_ruby/1.9.1/i686-linux. I can require it in simple ruby programs or from `ruby -e "require 'readline' #=> true"`. Also I can use all the standard command line shortcuts in the irb console as I wanted. But when I require ‘readline’ in irb itself for some reason it returns the false value. Why? I didn’t hear anything about the .irbc files thread. Could you give me the link, please. ---
**Author:** ![polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/polunochnik)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-standard-terminal-commands-has-disappeared-in-irb/175475/6 "2009-09-14T19:36:08Z")
Understood. Thanks a lot for your help. ---
**Author:** ![polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/polunochnik)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-standard-terminal-commands-has-disappeared-in-irb/175475/7 "2009-09-14T19:38:57Z")
P. A. wrote: > I didn’t hear anything about the .irbc files thread. Could you give me > the link, please. Sure, here it is. Enjoy! [http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse\_thread/thread/291843eaacd3f50d](http://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.ruby/browse_thread/thread/291843eaacd3f50d) ---
**Author:** ![polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@polunochnik](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/polunochnik)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/the-standard-terminal-commands-has-disappeared-in-irb/175475/8 "2009-09-14T19:28:59Z")
On Mon, Sep 14, 2009 at 11:24 AM, P. A. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > – > Posted via [http://www.ruby-forum.com/](http://www.ruby-forum.com/). false doesn’t mean it failed it just means it wasn’t loaded (in this case it wasn’t loaded because it was already loaded when you started irb). – “Hey brother Christian with your high and mighty errand, Your actions speak so loud, I can’t hear a word you’re saying.” -Greg Graffin (Bad Religion)