QSHELL (or QSH) is a command-line shell on IBM i (AS/400) that allows you to execute Unix-like commands. It provides a POSIX-compliant environment and is often used to interact with the IFS (Integrated File System), run scripts, or use tools like SSH, SCP, etc.

✅ How to Start QSH

• To start an interactive QSH session:

  QSH
  

• To run a single command from the IBM i command line:

  QSH CMD('your_unix_command')
  

📁 Common Examples

List contents of a directory:

QSH CMD('ls /home/user')

Copy a file:

QSH CMD('cp /home/user/file.txt /home/user/file_copy.txt')

Delete a file:

QSH CMD('rm /home/user/file.txt')

Read (display) a file:

QSH CMD('cat /home/user/file.txt')

Redirect output to a file:

QSH CMD('ls /home/user > /home/user/filelist.txt')

⚠️ Notes

• Case-sensitive: Commands and paths are case-sensitive.

• File system: It operates within the IFS, not traditional libraries like QSYS.LIB.

• Environment: Not all Unix tools are available unless specific options (like PASE) are installed.