Bash script - backgrounding a function?

Komodo · 2006-01-04 19:18:00

*I'll be very grateful to whoever correctly answers this question, since I need to use this script tonight*

Here's a quick script I've written to help me adjust to polyphasic sleep (please don't start asking me about that here - if you've got questions, make a post in off-topic and I'll answer them ).

I want the script to stay running permanently, continuously listening for my input, and adjusting $DELAY accordingly, then restarting the function 'sleeping'.

The problem is, once I call 'sleeping', there's simply nothing on the screen, as the whole script waits for the 'sleep' bit in 'sleeping' to finish.

Is there some way I can background the 'sleeping' function, so that my 'while' loop will still execute, even while 'sleeping' is running?

Also when this backgrounding is achieved, I only want one instance of 'sleeping' running at any time - if I call 'sleeping' again, will it stop the instance of 'sleeping' that was running beforehand?

#!/bin/bash

if [ $UID != "0" ]; then
    echo "You must run this script as root." 1>&2
    exit
fi

sleeping() {
    sleep $1m
    alsactl restore
    play /home/.sounds/alarm.mp3
    DELAY=60
    sleeping $DELAY
}

DELAY=60
sleeping $DELAY

while [ "1" -lt "2" ]
do
    clear
    echo "1. I'm awake"
    echo "2. I'm going for a nap"
    echo "3. I'm going out"
    echo "4. I'm back"
    echo "n"
    echo -n Current Time:
    date +%k:%M:%S
    echo "n"
    echo Time Remaining: $DELAY minutes
    read -e $input
done

if [ $input = "1" ]
then
    DELAY=60
    sleeping $DELAY
elif [ $input = "2" ]
then
    DELAY=35
    sleeping $DELAY
elif [ $input = "3" ]
then
    DELAY=999999
    sleeping $DELAY
elif [ $input = "4" ]
then
    $DELAY=60
    sleeping $DELAY
fi

cactus · 2006-01-04 19:35:34

no. bash does not have "threading".
you need to use a more robust language (python.ruby,etc)..

Komodo · 2006-01-04 19:40:21

cactus wrote:

no. bash does not have "threading"

I guess I knew that I was asking for threading, I just didn't want to admit it.

Balls... I'll do it in python then. Time for Dive Into Python again :?

Komodo · 2006-01-04 21:50:09

I decided to do it by just using a pair of scripts instead, where one of the scripts is the function in my original script.

However, I can't for the life of me understand why this doesn't change the variable DELAY when a number is put in. (Note - the script has many more parts than this, but this is the structure that isn't functioning correctly). Any clues?

#!/bin/bash

DELAY=60

while [ "1" -lt "2" ]
do
    echo Time Remaining: $DELAY minutes
    read -t 5 -e $input

if [ "$input" = "1" ]
then
    DELAY=60
elif [ "$input" = "2" ]
then
    DELAY=35
elif [ "$input" = "3" ]
then
    DELAY=999999
elif [ "$input" = "4" ]
then
    DELAY=60
fi
done

phrakture · 2006-01-04 22:36:36

"export DELAY" at the bottom? /shrug

alterkacker · 2006-01-04 22:42:33

Change

read -t 5 -e $input

to

read -t 5 -e input

Komodo · 2006-01-04 22:47:14

alterkacker wrote:

Change

read -t 5 -e $input

to

read -t 5 -e input

Hehe, what a pillock, of course.. it's always something small.

Many thanks alterkacker

Arch Linux

#1 2006-01-04 19:18:00

Bash script - backgrounding a function?

#2 2006-01-04 19:35:34

Re: Bash script - backgrounding a function?

#3 2006-01-04 19:40:21

Re: Bash script - backgrounding a function?

#4 2006-01-04 21:50:09

Re: Bash script - backgrounding a function?

#5 2006-01-04 22:36:36

Re: Bash script - backgrounding a function?

#6 2006-01-04 22:42:33

Re: Bash script - backgrounding a function?

#7 2006-01-04 22:47:14

Re: Bash script - backgrounding a function?

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