diff -r -u ratpoison/src/actions.c ratpoison-aliasshow/src/actions.c
--- ratpoison/src/actions.c	Fri Feb  8 03:46:00 2002
+++ ratpoison-aliasshow/src/actions.c	Sat Feb  9 00:04:30 2002
@@ -127,6 +127,95 @@
 static int alias_list_size;
 static int alias_list_last;
 
+void
+show_aliases ()
+{
+  screen_info *s = current_screen();
+  XEvent ev;
+  Window fwin;			/* Window currently in focus */
+  int revert;			
+  int i, old_i;
+  int x = 10;
+  int y = 0;
+  int max_width = 0;
+  int drawing_aliases = 1;		/* 1 if we are drawing alias names 0 if we are drawing complete commands */
+
+  XMapRaised (dpy, s->help_window);
+
+  XGetInputFocus (dpy, &fwin, &revert);
+  XSetInputFocus (dpy, s->help_window, RevertToPointerRoot, CurrentTime);
+
+  XDrawString (dpy, s->help_window, s->normal_gc,
+	       10, y + defaults.font->max_bounds.ascent,
+	       "ratpoison command aliases", strlen ("ratpoison command aliases"));
+
+  y += FONT_HEIGHT (defaults.font) * 2;
+  
+  i = 0;
+  old_i = 0;
+  while (i<alias_list_last || drawing_aliases)
+    {
+      if (drawing_aliases)
+	{
+	  XDrawString (dpy, s->help_window, s->normal_gc,
+		       x, y + defaults.font->max_bounds.ascent,
+		       alias_list[i].name, strlen (alias_list[i].name));
+
+	  if (XTextWidth (defaults.font, alias_list[i].name, strlen (alias_list[i].name)) > max_width)
+	    max_width = XTextWidth (defaults.font, alias_list[i].name, strlen (alias_list[i].name));
+	}
+      else
+	{
+	  XDrawString (dpy, s->help_window, s->normal_gc,
+		       x, y + defaults.font->max_bounds.ascent,
+		       alias_list[i].alias, strlen (alias_list[i].alias));
+
+	  if (XTextWidth (defaults.font, alias_list[i].alias, strlen (alias_list[i].alias)) > max_width)
+	    {
+	      max_width = XTextWidth (defaults.font, alias_list[i].alias, strlen (alias_list[i].alias));
+	    }
+	}
+
+      y += FONT_HEIGHT (defaults.font);
+      if (y > s->root_attr.height)
+	{
+	  if (drawing_aliases)
+	    {
+	      x += max_width + 10;
+	      drawing_aliases = 0;
+	      i = old_i;
+	    }
+	  else
+	    {
+	      x += max_width + 20;
+	      drawing_aliases = 1;
+	      old_i = i;
+	    }
+
+	  max_width = 0;
+	  y = FONT_HEIGHT (defaults.font) * 2;
+	}
+      else
+	{
+	  i++;
+	  if (i >= alias_list_last && drawing_aliases)
+	    {
+	      x += max_width + 10;
+	      drawing_aliases = 0;
+	      y = FONT_HEIGHT (defaults.font) * 2;
+	      i = old_i;
+	      max_width = 0;
+	    }
+	}
+    }
+
+  XMaskEvent (dpy, KeyPressMask, &ev);
+  XUnmapWindow (dpy, s->help_window);
+  XSetInputFocus (dpy, fwin, revert, CurrentTime);
+
+  return;
+}
+
 rp_action*
 find_keybinding_by_action (char *action)
 {
@@ -2386,7 +2475,7 @@
   
   if (data == NULL)
     {
-      message (" alias: At least one argument required ");
+      show_aliases();
       return NULL;
     }