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# mktrayicon
`mktrayicon` is a simple proxy program that lets you create and modify system
tray icons without having to deal with a graphical toolkit like GTK.
`mktrayicon` can be used two ways: To create an icon that is controlled by a
named pipe or, more simply, to create a non-interactive icon.
If a FIFO is not provided, mktrayicon will run until killed (e.g., `pkill -f
'mktrayicon.*<ICON>'`). If you are using a named pipe (FIFO) to control the
icon, *the pipe should already be created before you call `mktrayicon`*.
Every line written to the pipe should contain a single letter specifying what
operation to perform, optionally followed by a space and a parameter to the
command. Each command should be terminated by a newline. The following commands
are supported:
- `q`: Terminate `mktrayicon` and remove the tray icon
- `i <icon>`: Set the graphic to use for the tray icon; it can be a stock icon
name (see `/usr/share/icons`) or path to a custom icon
- `t <text>`: Set the text to display in the icon tooltip
- `t`: Remove the icon tooltip
- `c <cmnd>`: Set the command to be execute when the user clicks the icon
(`cmnd` is passed to `/bin/sh -c`)
- `c`: Remove the click handler
- `m <label1>,<cmd1>|<label2>,<cmd2>|...`: Set the labels and the corresponding commands to be executed when the user opens the icon menu (right-click usually)
(`cmd#` is passed to `/bin/sh -c`)
- `m`: Remove the menu handler
- `h`: Hide the tray icon
- `s`: Show the tray icon
By default, the `none` tooltip icon is used. To change this, pass `-i
<stock_icon_name>` or `-i <path_to_custom_icon>` when running `mktrayicon`.
Note that any script communicating with `mktrayicon` via the pipe **must**, for
the time being, send `q` when they are done. Just removing the FIFO file will
**not** cause the tray icon to be removed.
The command argument can be quoted with either `'` or `"` if you wish
it to include newlines. Other string interpolation may be added later.
Quoted strings are terminated by a matching quote at the end of a line
(ignoring whitespace). To escape a quote character at the end of a line
to continue a quoted string, prefix it with a `\`.
The m(enu) command uses `,` as a delimiter between label and command and `|` as a delimiter
between entries (label+command).If you want to use these 2 characters in a label or command, you have to escape
them with `\`. If you want to have an entry with just a label and no command to be executed, you can omit the
`,<cmd>` part. If you want an empty label (e.g. as a separator), you can just add a second `|` delimiter after the previous one.
If you want a command to be executed upon selection of an empty label, you can add `,<cmd>` after the previous `|`.
Example command: `echo "m Browser,firefox|Terminal,xterm|Label-only||,chromium" > /tmp/test` (where `mkfifo /tmp/test` has been executed before)
## Why?
Because I wanted to be able to create tray icons from bash without all the
hassle of interacting with GTK. Now I can create scripts for measuring stuff and
instantly make tray icons out of them (3G signal strength for example).
## Example run
This example is also in `examples/test.sh` so you can try running it.
```bash
#!/bin/bash
# Set up tray icon
mkfifo /tmp/$$.icon
./mktrayicon /tmp/$$.icon &
# Manipulate tray icon
# Click handling
echo "c xterm -e /bin/sh -c 'iwconfig; read'" > /tmp/$$.icon
# Change the icon and tooltip
for i in none weak ok good excellent; do
echo "i network-wireless-signal-$i-symbolic" > /tmp/$$.icon
echo "t Signal strength: $i" > /tmp/$$.icon
sleep 2
done
# Remove tooltip and click handler
echo "c" > /tmp/$$.icon
echo "t" > /tmp/$$.icon
# Toggle the visibility of the icon for a bit
for i in {1..3}; do
for j in h s; do
echo $j > /tmp/$$.icon
sleep 1
done
done
# Remove tray icon
echo "q" > /tmp/$$.icon
rm /tmp/$$.icon
```
## Known bugs
This is my first time using the GTK+ C library, and I've got to say it is less
than pleasant to work with. My biggest issue has been trying to do blocking IO
without blocking the GUI thread, as GTK seems to not like that.
**Patches are very welcome!**
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