- How to execute a script in shell when a shortcut key is pressed
- 1 Answer 1
- Example
- Determining keyboard shortcuts
- Example
- Executing a command in the middle
- Example
- Your problem
- References
- Bash Examples for “Press any key to continue…”
- Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction to Key Press Detection in Bash
- 2. Using the ‘read’ Command
- 3. Detecting Specific Key Presses
- 4. Implementing a Timeout
- 5. Real-World Applications and Examples
- Conclusion
- Command to simulate keyboard input
- 2 Answers 2
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How to execute a script in shell when a shortcut key is pressed
How could I execute a script in Shell when a shortcut key is pressed. Essentially what I need is when a shortcut key is pressed the script should read from a file and display that content in the terminal.
I tried the method you used bind ‘»\e[24~»:»airmon-ng start wlan0\n»‘ but after I closed the terminal, the thing seems to be reset and all the hotkeys are gone
1 Answer 1
You can use the builtin command, bind to map a keyboard shortcut so that it executes a command/shell script.
Example
Say we want to run the command, pwd , when we press the F12 key.
Now when I press F12 at my prompt, $ :
Determining keyboard shortcuts
You can use the following technique to determine the escape code for a given keyboard shortcut. On most systems press Ctrl + V , release, and then press the key you want the code for. There are some other systems it will work with M instead of V
Example
Pressing Ctrl + V then release both Ctrl and V and finally press F12 in a terminal window returns this:
This output can be interpreted as follows, ^[ is the Esc key. So when we want to specify this particular key using the bind command we need to use a \e to denote the Esc key followed by everything else from above. So the bind command looks like this:
Executing a command in the middle
You can also make use of bind -x to setup keyboard shortcuts that will run commands while you’re in the middle of typing something at the prompt, and these commands’ output will be displayed, but what ever you were typing at the prompt will remain intact.
NOTE: This method only works with keyboard shortcuts that output 1 character, so F12 won’t work here.
Example
Let’s alias the keyboard shortcut Alt + Shift + W .
Say I’m typing the command finger :
Now I hit the keyboard shortcut Alt + Shift + W :
saml tty1 2013-09-01 11:01 (:0) saml pts/0 2013-09-01 11:03 (:0.0) saml pts/1 2013-09-01 11:05 (:0.0) saml pts/2 2013-09-01 11:05 (:0.0) saml pts/5 2013-09-03 22:45 (:0.0) $ finger
What’s going on is bind is running the command defined, who , taking its output and inserting it in front of the prompt. If you repeat it you’ll see what’s going on, here’s output from me hitting it 2 times:
saml tty1 2013-09-01 11:01 (:0) saml pts/0 2013-09-01 11:03 (:0.0) saml pts/1 2013-09-01 11:05 (:0.0) saml pts/2 2013-09-01 11:05 (:0.0) saml pts/5 2013-09-03 22:45 (:0.0) saml tty1 2013-09-01 11:01 (:0) saml pts/0 2013-09-01 11:03 (:0.0) saml pts/1 2013-09-01 11:05 (:0.0) saml pts/2 2013-09-01 11:05 (:0.0) saml pts/5 2013-09-03 22:45 (:0.0) $ finger
Your problem
So one idea would be to use the bind -x method above and cat to display this text file at your prompt:
Now when I run commands I can see this file like so:
This is text from some multi-line file reminding me how to do some stuff $ finger
The output of file someinfo.txt is being displayed above my finger command above.
References
Bash Examples for “Press any key to continue…”
In this article, we will explore the techniques for detecting keypresses in Bash scripts and how to make your script wait for user input before proceeding. This skill is essential when developing interactive shell applications that require user interaction or confirmation before executing specific actions.
Table of Contents
- Introduction to Key Press Detection in Bash
- Using the ‘read’ Command
- Detecting Specific Key Presses
- Implementing a Timeout
- Real-World Applications and Examples
1. Introduction to Key Press Detection in Bash
In the world of shell scripting, user input is an essential component that allows users to interact with your script, making it more dynamic and versatile. Bash provides several built-in tools to handle user input, such as the ‘read’ command, which we will discuss in the following section.
2. Using the ‘read’ Command
The ‘read’ command is a powerful built-in Bash tool that allows you to read a line of input from the user. By default, it waits for the user to press the Enter key before proceeding. However, you can configure the ‘read’ command to detect a single keypress without the need for the Enter key.
Here’s an example of using the ‘read’ command to wait for a single keypress:
In this example, the ‘read’ command will wait for the user to press any key and proceed without the need for the Enter key.
3. Detecting Specific Key Presses
Sometimes you may want to detect specific keypresses and execute different actions based on the input. You can accomplish this by using a case statement in combination with the ‘read’ command:
In this example, the script will wait for the user to press ‘y’ or ‘n’ and execute different actions accordingly.
4. Implementing a Timeout
If you want your script to proceed automatically after a specified time if the user does not press a key, you can use the ‘-t’ option with the ‘read’ command:
In this example, the script will wait for the user to press a key or automatically proceed after 5 seconds.
5. Real-World Applications and Examples
Detecting keypresses in Bash scripts is useful in various scenarios, such as:
- Creating interactive menus
- Pausing script execution to display information
- Requiring user confirmation before performing critical actions
By incorporating key press detection into your Bash scripts, you can create more interactive and user-friendly applications that cater to a wide range of use cases. Here are a few examples to inspire you:
Example 1: Interactive Menu
This example demonstrates how to create an interactive menu that responds to specific keypresses.
Example 2: Pausing Script Execution
In this example, the script pauses execution after completing step 1, waiting for the user to press a key before proceeding to step 2.
Example 3: User Confirmation Before Critical Action
echo «This script will delete all files in the current directory. Are you sure you want to proceed? (y/n)»
This example demonstrates how to require user confirmation before performing a critical action, such as deleting files in the current directory.
Conclusion
Detecting key presses and waiting for user input are essential skills when creating interactive and user-friendly Bash scripts. By using the ‘read’ command and its various options, you can achieve a high level of control over your script’s flow and respond to user input accordingly. In this article, we have explored how to use the ‘read’ command to detect single key presses, differentiate between specific keys, and implement timeouts. Additionally, we have showcased real-world applications and examples to inspire you in creating more interactive and dynamic Bash scripts. By mastering key press detection in Bash, you will be able to develop versatile and engaging shell applications that cater to a wide range of use cases and user needs.
Command to simulate keyboard input
Is there a command that exists that can simulate keypresses? I want to pipe some data to it to make it type into a GUI program for me.
2 Answers 2
To simulate a key press, use:
For example, to simulate pressing F2 :
To simulate pressing crtl + c :
To simulate pressing ctrl + c and then a Backspace :
xdotool key ctrl+c BackSpace
Check man xdotool to get more idea.
You might need to install the xdotool package first to use xdotool command.
What :key syntax is it to enter UP arrow key? Found it here as xdotool key Up askubuntu.com/q/382005/22308
#!/usr/bin/expect #set timeout 10 set clientName [lindex $argv 0]; set hostName [lindex $argv 1]; set passWord [lindex $argv 2]; spawn ssh "$hostName"; expect "Password:"; send "$passWord\r"; expect "$hostName"; send "cd /apps/bin\r"; expect " bin]";
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