Linux ytalk Command with Practical Examples

Introduction

In this lab, we will explore the Linux ytalk command, a real-time communication tool that allows users to chat with each other directly from the command line. We will start by installing the ytalk package on an Ubuntu 22.04 Docker container, then initiate a ytalk session between two users, and finally, dive into the advanced features and functionalities of this versatile tool.

The ytalk command is a useful networking and communication utility that has been around for a while, but it may not be pre-installed on all Linux distributions. In this lab, we will ensure that the ytalk package is installed and ready for use, providing a seamless experience for our users.

Linux Commands Cheat Sheet

Skills Graph

Install the ytalk Package on Ubuntu 22.04

In this step, we will install the ytalk package on the Ubuntu 22.04 Docker container. ytalk is a command-line tool that allows users to communicate with each other in real-time.

First, let's update the package index:

sudo apt-get update

Example output:

Hit:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy InRelease
Get:2 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-security InRelease [110 kB]
Get:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-updates InRelease [114 kB]
Get:4 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-backports InRelease [99.8 kB]
Fetched 324 kB in 1s (324 kB/s)
Reading package lists... Done

Next, install the ytalk package:

sudo apt-get install -y ytalk

Example output:

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  libncurses6 libreadline8
Suggested packages:
  ytalk-doc
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libncurses6 libreadline8 ytalk
0 upgraded, 3 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 237 kB of archives.
After this operation, 1,001 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] Y
Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy/main amd64 libncurses6 amd64 6.3-2 [84.4 kB]
Get:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy/main amd64 libreadline8 amd64 8.1.2-1 [114 kB]
Get:3 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy/main amd64 ytalk amd64 3.3.0-1 [38.6 kB]
Fetched 237 kB in 0s (1,542 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package libncurses6:amd64.
(Reading database ... 14851 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../libncurses6_6.3-2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libncurses6:amd64 (6.3-2) ...
Selecting previously unselected package libreadline8:amd64.
Preparing to unpack .../libreadline8_8.1.2-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libreadline8:amd64 (8.1.2-1) ...
Selecting previously unselected package ytalk.
Preparing to unpack .../ytalk_3.3.0-1_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking ytalk (3.3.0-1) ...
Setting up libncurses6:amd64 (6.3-2) ...
Setting up libreadline8:amd64 (8.1.2-1) ...
Setting up ytalk (3.3.0-1) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.10.2-1) ...
Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.35-0ubuntu3) ...

The ytalk package is now installed on the Ubuntu 22.04 Docker container.

Initiate a ytalk Session Between Two Users

In this step, we will learn how to initiate a ytalk session between two users on the Ubuntu 22.04 Docker container.

First, open two separate terminal sessions or windows. In the first terminal, start the ytalk session as one user:

ytalk labex

This will start the ytalk session and wait for the other user to join.

In the second terminal, join the ytalk session as the other user:

ytalk labex

You should now see the ytalk session established, and you can start communicating between the two users.

To send a message, simply type your message and press Enter. The message will be displayed in both terminals.

Example output:

*** Connection established with labex ***
labex: Hello, how are you?
yourusername: I'm doing great, thanks for asking!
labex: That's good to hear. Let's discuss the project details.
yourusername: Sure, what would you like to discuss?

To exit the ytalk session, type Ctrl+C in either terminal.

Explore Advanced ytalk Features and Functionalities

In this step, we will explore some of the advanced features and functionalities of the ytalk command.

First, let's learn how to send a private message to a specific user within the ytalk session:

ytalk -p labex "This is a private message."

This will send a private message to the user labex that only they can see.

Next, let's learn how to send a message to multiple users at once:

ytalk -a "This message will be sent to all users."

This will broadcast the message to all users currently in the ytalk session.

You can also use the ytalk command to check who is currently logged in to the system:

ytalk -l

This will display a list of all users currently logged in to the system.

Finally, let's learn how to customize the ytalk session by changing the terminal window title:

ytalk -t "Project Discussion"

This will change the terminal window title to "Project Discussion" for the duration of the ytalk session.

Remember, you can combine these advanced features as needed to enhance your collaborative experience using ytalk.

Summary

In this lab, we learned how to install the ytalk package on an Ubuntu 22.04 Docker container. ytalk is a command-line tool that allows users to communicate with each other in real-time. We updated the package index and then installed the ytalk package, along with its dependencies, using the apt-get command. This step provided the necessary setup to enable the use of the ytalk command in the subsequent steps.

Next, we will explore how to initiate a ytalk session between two users and discover the advanced features and functionalities of the ytalk command.

Linux Commands Cheat Sheet