Enable ALT Keys for openSUSE YaST on Mac Terminal

Intro

YaST (Yet Another Setup Tools) is installation and configuration tool for SUSE Linux Distribution, like openSUSE or SLE. It’s easy to use to attractive your system quickly because it has a graphical interface.

YaST can be used with Graphical Interface or Command Line with Terminal. If you using graphical interface, you just need to click and following YaST Wizard. But, if you have a SUSE Linux Server with text mode you still can using YaST by command line interface.

By default, using YaST in CLI Mode, you should press “Tab” keys to move to another menu and it’s wasting your time because if you missed it, you must repeat it :-D.

But, to avoid that you can use ALT Shortcut in YaST CLI Mode. Example :

YaST Command Line

Look at the above picture :

In traditional ways, if you want to move your cursor from “Software” menu to “Help” menu. You must press tab, tab, tab, and tab until help menu. But, in SUSE ways, you can do it easy, you just need to press ALT + Yellow Words.

If you want go to “Help” menu you just need to press “ALT+ H”

if you want go to “Run” menu you just need to press “ALT + R”

Easy right? 😀

The Problem

The problem is if you using MacBook or OSX Family, ALT Keys (Option) in keyboard didn’t work for YaST. You must configure it on preference Mac Terminal.

Solution

If you want be able to enable ALT Function for YaST, please follow this instructions :

• Open your Mac Terminal, then Click Terminal beside your Apple Logo and Click Preferences.
• In Profiles section, click Keyboard Tab, and checklist “Use Option as Meta Key“.

Configuration for ALT

Now, you can use ALT as shortcut YaST. Hope this helpful 😀