Boost Your Workflow: Quick CRT Shortcuts for Faster Device Access

Technique 1: Shortcut Keys

Use CRT’s mapped‑key feature to replace repetitive commands with a single keystroke.

Open CRT, choose Options → Global Options .

In the Global Options window select Default Session Settings and click Edit Default Settings .

In the edit page, expand the left pane to Terminal → Mapped Keys and add or edit a key mapping.

Press the desired shortcut (e.g., F1) when prompted. Choose the action Send String and enter the command string, using \r for a carriage‑return (e.g., root\r).

Repeat the process for other commands, such as adding F3 to send a password string.

Technique 2: Bottom‑Status‑Bar Buttons

Create custom button‑bar labels that send predefined strings, providing a mouse‑click alternative to keyboard shortcuts.

Open CRT, choose View → Button Bar to display the button bar.

Right‑click the button bar and select Add New Button Bar Label or edit an existing label.

Add a label named LOGIN . The button bar automatically switches to the new label.

Right‑click the LOGIN label, choose Configure , and add a button named username . Set its action to Send String and enter the desired string (e.g., root).

Similarly add a button for the password (e.g., 123456) using the same Send String action.

After configuration, clicking the username and passwd buttons logs you into the target system without manual typing.

Technique 3: Timestamped Log Files

Configure CRT to automatically record session output to a log file that includes a timestamp for each line, facilitating later analysis.

Open CRT, go to Options → Global Options .

Select Default Session Settings → Edit Default Settings .

In the edit page, choose Appearance → Log File .

Set a log‑file name, enable Start logging on connect , check Append to file , and enable Custom log data . Define the custom format to include the desired timestamp pattern.

The custom log data example shows each line prefixed with the timestamp format you defined.

With these settings, every session automatically generates a timestamped log file, making it easy to trace actions and diagnose issues later.

Conclusion

By configuring shortcut keys, button‑bar labels, and timestamped logging, CRT becomes a powerful automation tool for managing network devices, reducing manual effort and improving traceability.