[solved] dmenu

dax965 · 2008-01-20 01:00:51

How do I get dmenu working? I use Xfce. I run "dmenu" in terminal, but when I press ALT+P, nothing pops up. I love this program and I need it.

Is there any similar alternatives? (I'd much rather use dmenu)

Last edited by dax965 (2008-01-20 19:15:50)

SilentM · 2008-01-20 03:11:31

You'll have to bind "ALT+P" to run "dmenu," as dmenu itself doesn't do any keybinding.

dax965 · 2008-01-20 04:14:24

Thanks! But now I have a new problem. I start typing, but it doesn't auto-complete / auto-search. Even when I type in a full name of a program (eg 'xterm') and hit enter, it doesn't do anything. Anyone know why?

vogt · 2008-01-20 04:20:59

dmenu is a bit more flexible than that: you pipe it arbitrary stuff, you then select one name, then it returns the name of the thing you selected.

So, to get that functionality, you need to make a shell script containing one of the following examples, or maybe the xfce keybinding settings allow you to just input the whole line:

exe=`dmenu_path | dmenu` && eval "exec $exe"
exe=`dmenu < myLinefeedDelimitedListOfFaves` && eval "exec $exe"

Last edited by vogt (2008-01-20 04:25:05)

dax965 · 2008-01-20 19:15:40

vogt wrote:

dmenu is a bit more flexible than that: you pipe it arbitrary stuff, you then select one name, then it returns the name of the thing you selected.
So, to get that functionality, you need to make a shell script containing one of the following examples, or maybe the xfce keybinding settings allow you to just input the whole line:
exe=`dmenu_path | dmenu` && eval "exec $exe"
exe=`dmenu < myLinefeedDelimitedListOfFaves` && eval "exec $exe"

Worked! Thank you so much.

finferflu · 2008-01-20 20:38:06

Ah! I missed that eval "exec $exe", that's why it didn't work for me. What does that do precisely? Does it make the whole string execute? And why is not the string exectuting without eval?

vogt · 2008-01-21 05:31:46

finferflu wrote:

Ah! I missed that eval "exec $exe", that's why it didn't work for me. What does that do precisely? Does it make the whole string execute? And why is not the string exectuting without eval?

exe=`dmenu < myLinefeedDelimitedListOfFaves` && eval "exec $exe"

Step by step:
1: you dmenu sees you list of programs to run (via shell redirection something)
2: you select it
3: dmenu returns the name of the thing you chose
4: && means only continue if dmenu exited with status 0 (you didn't press escape)
5: I think that the eval is unnecessary, but it doesn't hurt. exec replaces the current shell.

Bleh. I hope that helped. You'd be better off learning shell scripting somewhere else...

dolby · 2008-01-21 12:50:20

vogt wrote:

finferflu wrote:
Ah! I missed that eval "exec $exe", that's why it didn't work for me. What does that do precisely? Does it make the whole string execute? And why is not the string exectuting without eval?
exe=`dmenu < myLinefeedDelimitedListOfFaves` && eval "exec $exe"
Step by step:
1: you dmenu sees you list of programs to run (via shell redirection something)
2: you select it
3: dmenu returns the name of the thing you chose
4: && means only continue if dmenu exited with status 0 (you didn't press escape)
5: I think that the eval is unnecessary, but it doesn't hurt. exec replaces the current shell.
Bleh. I hope that helped. You'd be better off learning shell scripting somewhere else...

eval lets you pass arguments eg. mirage ~/file.png

Arch Linux

#1 2008-01-20 01:00:51

[solved] dmenu

#2 2008-01-20 03:11:31

Re: [solved] dmenu

#3 2008-01-20 04:14:24

Re: [solved] dmenu

#4 2008-01-20 04:20:59

Re: [solved] dmenu

#5 2008-01-20 19:15:40

Re: [solved] dmenu

#6 2008-01-20 20:38:06

Re: [solved] dmenu

#7 2008-01-21 05:31:46

Re: [solved] dmenu

#8 2008-01-21 12:50:20

Re: [solved] dmenu

Board footer