[clug] Centos 5 gnome .desktop app df -k

[Steve Walsh]

There's a few options that might work, but I don't have a C5 box handy
to test they'd all be on there.

I had a play with notify-send, which might do what you want, but
'zenity' will do it nicely as well.

df -k | zenity --text-info

there are other options discussed at
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7035/how-to-show-a-gui-message-box-from-a-bash-script-in-linux

HTH

On 31/7/19 9:25 pm, Neil Pickford via linux wrote:
> I am just starting to get familiar with gnome on Centos 5.1 (Yes I
> know its old but this is what the machine in question is running)
> I am more of a command line admin. In this case it is a gnome desktop
> for operators.
>
> What I am trying to do is create gnome App Link Icons for the
> operators to assist them in the workflow they are performing with the
> Centos machine that is importing large media archives from magnetic
> tape (LTO).
> Primarily the App Link is for allowing operators to see that the
> destination volume is empty, full or half full.
>
> The particular app function I am trying to replicate is a non
> interactive Disk Free - or simply df -k to std output in a gnome
> window that can then be closed by the operator or automatically closes
> after 10 seconds.
>
> I have placed a file FreeDisk.desktop in the operational users
> ~/Desktop directory which contains:
>
>           [Desktop Entry]
>           Version=1.0
>           Encoding=UTF-8
>           Type=Application
>           Terminal=true
>           Exec='df -k'
>           Name=Free Disk
>           Comment=Show Free Disk Space on mounted file-systems
>
> A new App Link Icon named 'Free Disk' appears in the gnome desktop
> when I save the file - as expected.
> However when I activate the new desktop App Link lcon I get a quick
> flash of a black terminal command window and then it disappears.
> I tested df -k as the operator user in a gnome-terminal and it works
> as expected.
>
> I changed the Exec= line to a number of variants below: - all did not
> work.
> df
> df -k
> df -k ; sleep 10
> /bin/bash 'df -k'
> 'df -k' ; sleep 10
> /bin/bash -c 'df -k'
> '/bin/bash -c df -k'
>
> I even tried writing a bash script "FreeDisk.sh"  in the home directory:
> chmod +x FreeDisk.sh
> and executing that:
>
> ./FreeDisk.sh
> works as expected
>
> Exec=/bin/bash -c '~/FreeDisk.sh'
> results in the previously experienced terminal flash.
>
> I have also changed Terminal=True to False
> - no change.
>
> I also tried using:
> Exec=gnome-open '~/FreeDisk.txt'
> where FreeDisk.txt contains the std output of df -k
>
> I suppose I could use Exec=gnome-terminal however I was really not
> wanting to present an interactive terminal session rather an automated
> macro that displays the data from df.
>
> Looking at other previously placed operator desktop app icons such as
> a log monitor the Exec line contains:
> Exec=tail -f /mountpoint/log/logfile
>
> This seems to work as expected and is functionally similar to the
> FreeDisk app link.
> The .desktop file has the same permissions and I even tried copying
> the log monitor .desktop file and modifying the appropriate parameters.
>
> What I am trying to do is pretty basic and simple - I can expand it
> later when I make the basics work.
>
> I am obviously missing some vital piece of the puzzle here, can anyone
> help me out?
>
> An yes I have googled this subject extensively and read many man
> pages, btw there appears not to be a man page for gnome-open.
>
> NeilP
>
>
>