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). Variables have to sent with the SendEnv flag accordingly, or the SetEnv flag.

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:

$ ssh -o SetEnv "SSHCHAT_THEME=solarized" 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:

$ ssh -o SetEnv "SSHCHAT_TIMESTAMP=1" 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.chat
# Or if you're not requesting a pty,
$ ssh -o SetEnv "TERM=bot" ssh.chat