UnixConsoleEcho

This is a small library that provides an API to disable and enable console input echo on Unix platforms. All native code from this project is taken from non-public API's within corefx.

Why

To provide a way to implement alternative versions of Console.ReadKey for Unix platforms. Currently the Unix implementation of ReadKey can not be used at the same time as the CursorTop or CursorLeft properties. If ReadKey is running in one thread, and one of those properties is called in another, that thread will block until ReadKey finishes.

This project provides access to the native code from corefx that is used to disable console input echo, allowing other projects to implement their own ReadKey methods that do not have the same issue. This is mainly meant as a workaround until a ReadKeyAsync method is (hopefully) implemented in corefx.

Although this was made specifically to be consumed by PowerShellEditorServices, it is not a Microsoft project.

Usage

Reference the package

dotnet add ./Project.csproj package UnixConsoleEcho

Example

public static System.ConsoleKeyInfo ReadKey()
{
    UnixConsoleEcho.InputEcho.Disable();
    try
    {
        while (!System.Console.KeyAvailable)
        {
            System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(50);
        }

        return System.Console.ReadKey(true);
    }
    finally
    {
        UnixConsoleEcho.InputEcho.Enable();
    }
}

Including in Build Output

If you are building for netstandard* and are not using dotnet publish (for example, if you are creating a binary module for PowerShell) make sure you include both the managed assembly and the native runtime libraries. The easiest way to do this is to run dotnet publish and copy them to your release directory in your build script. If you are building for 4.6.x, this is handled automatically.

Building Nuget Package

Linux Steps

Set-Location ./UnixConsoleEcho
Invoke-Build
# Copy ./src/Native/Unix/build/libdisablekeyecho.so to the same path on a Windows machine

MacOS Steps

Set-Location ./UnixConsoleEcho
Invoke-Build
# Copy ./src/Native/Unix/build/libdisablekeyecho.dylib to the same path on a Windows machine

Windows Steps

Invoke-Build -Configuration Release -Task Pack