Tips and Tricks About Computers, Web Development, Linux, the Internet and the Like
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scp-notifications for GNOME and Ubuntu – Expanding on My Original Python Script
Jun 26th
Posted by Tyler Mulligan in Compiz
I’ve only been coding Python for ~12 hours total, so don’t expect this to be perfect. Knowing what I know about creating/testing other software and doing my best to scour through very light pynotify documentation, I’ve begun to build out this script to be more useful / portable / configurable. As the Version 0.6 indicates, I’m not quite at my goal yet and there is still more to learn to bring it up to that point.
I’m releasing this early on my blog just in case I caught any people yesterday who’ve been experimenting with my research / code so far. I’ll share it on github when I evolve it just a bit more.
#!/usr/bin/env python # # Title: scp-notifications # Author: Tyler Mulligan (tyler@detrition.net) # Date: 06/26/2010 # Version: 0.6 # Description: # Used in combination with an event, such as an action or cronjob, this script # will scp the latest file from a folder to your server. # # Optionally, it can copy the url to your clipboard and/or show a popup with a # link to the file after succesfully uploading # # Orginally developed to be piped to from compiz screenshot tool # http://interwebninja.com/videos/compiz-screenshot-piped-to-notification-daemon-for-upload.ogv # # The MIT License # # Copyright (c) 2010 Tyler Mulligan # # Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy # of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal # in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights # to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell # copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is # furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: # # The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in # all copies or substantial portions of the Software. # # THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR # IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, # FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE # AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER # LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, # OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN # THE SOFTWARE # import pygtk pygtk.require('2.0') import pynotify import gtk import sys import os import subprocess # Set Variables ##################################### user = "user" host = "server.com" # All should have trailing slashes lfolder = "/home/user/screenshots/" hfolder = "/home/remote_user/screenshots/" httplink = "http://"+host+"/screenshots/" # Display ##################################### t1 = 5000 # timeout for screenshot upload dialog t2 = 3000 # timeout for screenshot preview t3 = 7000 # timeout for link dialog screenshot_preview = 1 # If using with the compiz screenshot plugin, you may want this popup_link = 1 # another popup copy_to_clipboard = 0 # automatically copy text to keyboard # Position ##################################### # Get screensize < < used for relative positioning display = gtk.gdk.display_get_default() screen = display.get_default_screen() x = screen.get_width() - 1 y = screen.get_height() - 1 # 0 for Automatic Placement """ x1 = 0 y1 = 0 x2 = 0 y2 = 0 x3 = 0 y3 = 0 """ # Define Relative Position (assuming top-right) x1 = x-1 y1 = 12 x2 = x1 y2 = y1 + 100 x3 = x-1 y3 = 12 # Define Static (1920 puts it on my second monitor) """ x1 = 1919 y1 = 12 x2 = x1 y2 = y1 + 100 x3 = 1920 y3 = 12 """ ##################################### def upload_cb(n, action): assert action == "upload" subprocess.call(["scp", os.path.join(lfolder, f), '%s@%s:%s' % (user, host, hfolder)]) # setup URL in if copy_to_clipboard: clipboard = gtk.clipboard_get() clipboard.set_text(httplink + f) # make our data available to other applications clipboard.store() # Notification: Link for the clicking if popup_link: n3 = pynotify.Notification("Here is your link","<a href='" + httplink + f + "'>" + httplink + f + "") helper = gtk.Button() icon = helper.render_icon(gtk.STOCK_DIALOG_INFO, gtk.ICON_SIZE_DIALOG) n3.set_icon_from_pixbuf(icon) n3.set_urgency(pynotify.URGENCY_NORMAL) if x3: n3.set_hint("x", x3) if y3: n3.set_hint("y", y3) n3.set_timeout(t3) n3.connect("closed",closen3_cb) if not n3.show(): print "Failed to send notification" sys.exit(1) closen1_cb(n1) closen2_cb(n2) gtk.main_quit() sys.exit(1) # Notification 1 was closed def closen1_cb(n): n1.close() if screenshot_preview: n2.close() gtk.main_quit() # Notification 2 was closed def closen2_cb(n): n2.close() gtk.main_quit() # Notification 2 was closed def closen3_cb(n): n3.close() gtk.main_quit() # The Ignore button was clicked def ignore_cb(n, action): assert action == "ignore" closen1_cb(n1) closen2_cb(n2) gtk.main_quit() # Main def main(): gtk.main() # Init if __name__ == '__main__': if not pynotify.init("Notifier 'scp' Option"): sys.exit(1) # Get latest file and build uri start = os.path.abspath(lfolder) f = max([(os.path.getmtime(os.path.join(start,p)),p) for p in os.listdir(start)])[1] uri = lfolder + f # Notification: Upload to Server n1 = pynotify.Notification("Upload to Server?","Copy the file '" + f + "' to the server?") helper = gtk.Button() icon = helper.render_icon(gtk.STOCK_DIALOG_QUESTION, gtk.ICON_SIZE_DIALOG) n1.set_icon_from_pixbuf(icon) n1.set_urgency(pynotify.URGENCY_NORMAL) if x1: n1.set_hint("x", x1) if y1: n1.set_hint("y", y1) n1.set_timeout(t1) n1.add_action("upload", "Yes, Upload", upload_cb) n1.add_action("ignore", "Ignore", ignore_cb) n1.connect("closed",closen1_cb) if not n1.show(): print "Failed to send notification" sys.exit(1) # Notification: Screenshot Preview if screenshot_preview: n2 = pynotify.Notification("Screenshot Preview", "", uri) n2.set_urgency(pynotify.URGENCY_LOW) if x2: n2.set_hint("x", x2) if y2: n2.set_hint("y", y2) n2.set_timeout(t2) n2.connect("closed",closen2_cb) if not n2.show(): print "Failed to send notification" sys.exit(1) main()
I also rigged up a quick gallery script to parse the incoming images http://interwebninja.com/screenshots/ — I used AutoGeneratingGallery for this.
Ubuntu Notifications (osd-notify) Sucks, notifications-daemon Rocks – Exploiting the Goodness with Compiz
Jun 25th
Posted by Tyler Mulligan in Compiz
Introduction
The long name for this blog used to be “Tyler Mulligan’s Tips and Tricks for Increasing your Efficiency“. I love finding ways to increase my efficiency and let computers do the work while I focus on more interests aspects of what the computer is providing me with. When I recognize an issue, I find a way to cut out time by streamlining the process for the most accurate repetition, like any programmer would/should/could.
I noticed myself taking a lot of screenshots with compiz’ built in screenshot tool (I can hold a hotkey and drag a box to take newspaper style clippings). This is very fast and simple, I highly recommend enabling this option and getting used to it. However, I don’t care much for clicking around on clunky websites to upload images.
This is where my adventure starts… when I find out a very useful feature was deprecated and not replaced in Ubuntu. I don’t use the new notification area, it has too much I don’t need, I never liked the behavior of these new osd-notify notifications which I found out now are even more worthless (sorry team).
Using Sane Notifications in Ubuntu
After reinstalling the GNOME default notifications system in Ubuntu I was able to use SANE notifications that actually… KICK ASS! I don’t understand how osd-notify is better than these which even comes with it’s own notification properties panel. Maybe it’s an under the hood thing…
Regardless, there is no doubt in my mind that notifications that you hover, can still slightly see but click through but cannot perform any actions, even a close, are just plan stupid and annoying..

Screenshot of the script I ended up writing using the “better” notification system to ask me if I want to upload the screenshot I just took to the server.
Linking the notifications
I linked the notifications the following way:

Python Script for Notification that Prompts for File Upload to Server
Knowing diddly squat about Python, I chugged forward with my classic notification popups that allow for interaction as it had the most activity around it and some examples available in /usr/share/doc/python-notify/examples/
I ended coming up with the following script thanks to some help from a few people in #python on irc.freenode.org
This is outside of the scope of this blogpost but this script assumes you have setup passwordless ssh to your server.
#!/usr/bin/env python # # Title: Notification 'scp' Option # Author: Tyler Mulligan (tyler@detrition.net) # Date: 06/25/2010 # Description: # Used in combination with an event, such as an action or cron # the latest file from a folder will be scped to your server and will copy # the http location of the that file to your clipboard # # Orginally developed to be piped to from compiz screenshot tool # # # The MIT License # # Copyright (c) 2010 Tyler Mulligan # # Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy # of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal # in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights # to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell # copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is # furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions: # # The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in # all copies or substantial portions of the Software. # # THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR # IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, # FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE # AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER # LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, # OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN # THE SOFTWARE # import pygtk pygtk.require('2.0') import gtk import pynotify import sys import os import subprocess user = "user" host = "server.com" lfolder = "/home/user/screenshots/" hfolder = "/home/remote_user/screenshots/" httplink = "http://"+host+"/screenshots/" timeout = 5000 # Set position display = gtk.gdk.display_get_default() screen = display.get_default_screen() x = screen.get_width() - 1 y = screen.get_height() - 1 #x = 1919 #y = 12 def upload_cb(n, action): assert action == "upload" start = os.path.abspath(lfolder) f = max([(os.path.getmtime(os.path.join(start,x)),x) for x in os.listdir(start)])[1] # setup URL in clipboard clipboard = gtk.clipboard_get() clipboard.set_text(httplink + f) # make our data available to other applications clipboard.store() os.system('scp "%s" "%s@%s:%s"' % (lfolder + f, user, host, hfolder) ).wait() n.close() gtk.main_quit() def ignore_cb(n, action): assert action == "ignore" n.close() gtk.main_quit() if __name__ == '__main__': if not pynotify.init("Notifier 'scp' Option"): sys.exit(1) # Setup Popup n = pynotify.Notification("Upload to Server?") n.set_urgency(pynotify.URGENCY_NORMAL) n.set_timeout(timeout) n.set_category("device") n.add_action("upload", "Yes, Upload", upload_cb) n.add_action("ignore", "Ignore", ignore_cb) # Set position n.set_hint("x", x) n.set_hint("y", y) if not n.show(): print "Failed to send notification" sys.exit(1) gtk.main()
edit: I updated the script with some position information — I love that I can put the notifications ANYWHERE on my screen. I also variablized the timeout.
edit 2: Here is a video of my improved script in action — I’ll post the source later
http://interwebninja.com/videos/compiz-screenshot-piped-to-notification-daemon-for-upload.ogv
Going Beyond
The Compiz example is just something that server my immediate needs. The possibilities are however endless. You can for example, link this script to a cron job asking you if you want to sync some other sort of file. Or perhaps you’d like to add multiple buttons to give yourself a folder / server choice.
Happy hacking
Reseting your system wide cursor theme in ubuntu
May 11th
Posted by Tyler Mulligan in Command Line
If you installed KDE in ubuntu (GNOME based), you may have noticed that when you log back into GNOME, you keep the KDE cursor theme. To fix this, use update-alternatives like so:
0025|z@zentury ~$ sudo update-alternatives --config x-cursor-theme There are 7 choices for the alternative x-cursor-theme (providing /usr/share/icons/default/index.theme). Selection Path Priority Status ------------------------------------------------------------ * 0 /etc/X11/cursors/oxy-white.theme 50 auto mode 1 /etc/X11/cursors/core.theme 30 manual mode 2 /etc/X11/cursors/handhelds.theme 20 manual mode 3 /etc/X11/cursors/oxy-white.theme 50 manual mode 4 /etc/X11/cursors/redglass.theme 20 manual mode 5 /etc/X11/cursors/whiteglass.theme 20 manual mode 6 /usr/share/icons/DMZ-Black/cursor.theme 30 manual mode 7 /usr/share/icons/DMZ-White/cursor.theme 50 manual mode Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number:
press “7″ for the default
RabbitVCS is the new Nautilus SVN
May 4th
Posted by Tyler Mulligan in Computers
I should have written about this months ago. Readers have replied to my previous post about nautilus svn, which I claimed to be the first that didn’t suck. This is the evolution of it, RabbitVCS (Version Control System), which aims to use the same intuitive, integrated gui for other version control systems, such as git (check the rabbitvcs roadmap for details on expected support for different versioning system.
Packages for nautilus you wish were installed by default in ubuntu
May 4th
Posted by Tyler Mulligan in Application Management
Intro
Thanks to a tip I picked up at Tombuntu about nautilus, after following up on a trick to add files to mocp through nautilus scripts trackback link from Hilltop Yodler (great article), when doing a google search for GiS for nautilus-actions (apt-get install nautilus-actions). I learned about 3 kick ass additions to the nautilus menu. I realized Fedora Linux and Linux Mint had some of these in their context menus but didn’t make the connection to ubuntu until now.
On with the Show
sudo apt-get install nautilus-open-terminal nautilus-image-converter nautilus-gksu
for some kick ass options in the context (right click) menu of nautilus (your default file manager in ubuntu). For more information, check out the tombuntu article I linked above.
pkill nautilus
to restart nautilus and have the new packages in your context menu
More
If you’re interested in this, you’ll probably also like my article about nautilus-actions.
Make Screencasts in Ubuntu with gtk-recordmydesktop
May 30th
Posted by Tyler Mulligan in GNOME
Yeah, the name sounds cliche but man oh man is this app slick. Compared to some of the others I tried, this one _just_worked_ and had the options I needed, plus more.
sudo apt-get install gtk-recordmydesktop
You can select a specific window or an arbitrary area and it compresses to ogv automatically.
Here’s a quick video I recorded in seconds — http://z.nexuizninjaz.com/videos/nst.ogv
Inspecting GTK dialogs with Parasite
May 20th
Posted by Tyler Mulligan in GNOME
Parasite is a program much like Firebug, except this is for GTK based applications.
By opening a program with parasite enabled, you can literally click elements of the GUI to reveal their properties.
The installation is pretty simple, open a terminal, clone the git repo, compile install and run. I like to make a folder for software I checkout from SVN or Git in my home dir so I don’t get things all messy. You need git to clone, so if you don’t have it installed already:
$ sudo apt-get install git-core
Clone it:
$ mkdir ~/git_software && cd ~/git_software && git clone git://github.com/chipx86/gtkparasite
Compile and install it:
$ ./autogen.sh && make && sudo make install
I run 64bit, so I had to do the following command to get things working:
$ sudo cp /usr/local/lib/gtk-2.0 /usr/lib64/ -r
Try it out (prefix an application name with GTK_MODULES=gtkparasite):
$ GTK_MODULES=gtkparasite geditReverting two Ubuntu features ‘removed’ in 9.04
May 16th
Posted by Tyler Mulligan in Computers
Ubuntu Jaunty 9.04 has many improvements on the prior release of Intrepid 8.10, however 2 things were removed that I didn’t agree with. They are pretty easy to change back so I wanted to share them with you all.
Update Notifier in system tray
I guess the idea behind this change was intended to make updates more obvious… but to power-users like myself, I consider it an annoyance. Every time I’d run apt-get, a “update yo shiz” window would pop up above my terminal and anger me. I’m not the stupid windows user Ubuntu’s starting to treat me like. I just don’t have time for updates that require a restart in the middle of the day when I’m trying to get some work done.
gconftool -s --type bool /apps/update-notifier/auto_launch false
Ctrl+Alt+Backspace
This would classically restart X… but for some reason they removed this as well?!?! Whatever, here’s how to fix it.
sudo aptitude install dontzap && sudo dontzap –d


