Getting started

Once you’ve got WordShell, here’s how to get going:

The 2-Minute Version

• You need a command-line – in particular the bash shell. You probably already have it.
• Run “wordshell –checkrequirements” and/or “wordshell –checkrequirements –debug”
• At a basic level, you need these commands: lftp, zip/unzip ; for full operation add in diff/patch and php. If your WP sites are on your local machine, then add in rsync too.
• Head over to our documentation pages to see what you can do; or run “wordshell –help”.

The Longer Version

To run WordShell, you need to have a POSIX-type command-line. That means something like:

• Linux (e.g. Ubuntu, Fedora, Mint, CentOS, Gentoo, etc.)
• BSD (e.g. FreeBSD, OpenBSD, DragonFly BSD, NetBSD)
• Solaris
• Mac OS X
• Windows, with the Cygwin tools

In particular, you will need to have the bash shell installed (this is already installed on all Linux and Cygwin systems, and most others too).

There are a few other components that are needed, or helpful. If WordShell finds something missing, it will let you know. It will always try to use the tools available on your system before complaining.

To test out what you are missing, run “wordshell –checkrequirements” or “wordshell –checkrequirements –debug”. All being well, you will get a response like this:

[[email protected]
 ~]# wordshell --checkrequirements
Working diff was found
Working patch was found
Working php was found
Working vi was found
Working lftp was found
Working curl was found
Working wget was found
Working rsync was found
Working unzip was found
Working zip was found
Working w3m was found
All is well - you can run wordshell with 100% of available features

Not all of those components are required; some simply make things happen more efficiently (such as rsync).

If you are missing anything, then you can use you system’s package manager to install it.  If you’ve got something installed, but WordShell did not find it, then you can do one of these two things:

1. Open up wordshell in your favourite text editor, and at the top you’ll find the places where WordShell is searching for them. Edit that list so that they can be found on your system.
2. Or: check your $PATH variable

Once you’ve got those things installed, you are ready to go. Now head over to our documentation pages to see what you can do; or run “wordshell –help” to get the included help.