How do I automatically restart docky after a crash?

First off, I'm not using docky. But I'm assuming docky is in your $PATH. If not, then specify the full path to the binary.

Here is the awesome use of Bash:

Start off with a file, such as (vim instead of gedit if you want):

• gedit ~/process_monitor.sh

• Type the following:

  #!/bin/bash
  
  if [[ -z "$1" ]];then
      echo "ERROR: must specify program"
      exit 1
  fi
  
  while (( 0 == 0 ));do
      $@ &
      pid=`jobs -l | awk '{print $2}'`
      wait $pid
  done
  

• Save the file.

• Set the permission:

  chmod a+x ~/process_monitor.sh
  

Now you can run a program like so:

~/process_monitor.sh docky

and it'll launch the program once, and make sure to restart the program if you ever choose to quit it or it chooses to crash.

To add an entry to system startup so it launches the program once you logged in and won't stop until you quit, do this:

• Go to Unity Dash, type and look for "Startup Applications"
• Click Add
• Name: Docky or whatever you like
• Command: /bin/bash ~/process_monitor.sh docky
• Comment: Whatever you like

Make sure the new entry is checked. Log back out and in and you see docky all the time.

This is similar to the process monitor method, using an until loop, but just for docky itself.

Simple script:

until docky; do
  sleep 1
done

Then, remove docky from your startup applications, and just add sh [path to file], such as:

sh /usr/wegsehen/Scripts/docky.sh

I wrote a small "wrapper" script bellow. It will spawn docky and monitor it. Spawn this alone without docky in the Startup Applications.

#!/usr/bin/env bash
#
###########################################################
# Author: Serg Kolo , contact: [email protected] 
# Date: March 31st, 2016
# Purpose: monitor script that respawns docky if it dies
# Written for: http://askubuntu.com/q/752478/295286
# Tested on: Ubuntu 14.04 LTS
###########################################################
# Copyright: Serg Kolo , 2016
#    
#     Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this software is hereby granted
#     without fee, provided that  the copyright notice above and this permission statement
#     appear in all copies.
#
#     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.

ARGV0="$0"
ARGC=$#

monitor_pid ()
{
  if ps -p $1 > /dev/null ;
  then
    # Docky is there, no-op
    sleep 0.25
    continue
  else
    # Docky is gone,ask user if they want it back
    DOCKY_PID=$(ask_restart)
  fi
}

spawn_docky()
{
  docky &> /dev/null  &
  echo $! # return docky pid
}

ask_restart ()
{
   zenity --question --title="Docky Monitor"\
          --text="Docky has quit, do you want to restart it ?" > /dev/null
   if [ $? -eq 0  ] ;then
        spawn_docky
   else
       kill -SIGTERM $MYPID # exit the script 
   fi        
}

main()
{
  local MYPID=$$
  local DOCKY_PID=$(spawn_docky)
  while true;
  do
     monitor_pid $DOCKY_PID
  done
}

main

The ./process_monitor.sh works great.

But only if i use Terminal, or yakuake...so i can just open a new shell, when i use "~/process_monitor.sh docky" or "/bin/bash ~/process_monitor.sh docky"

But if I go to the "Startup Applications", click add and follow these instructions nothing happens when my Computer is starting up. I still have to run that command manually. And it won work, when i put in /home/"username"/process_monitor.sh docky, too.

I found, or created a solution (which hasn't been posted somewhere) to get it autostarted.

Instead of using the ~/process_monitor.sh docky create a new textfile:

• gedit ~/start.sh
• type following

#!/bin/bash

~/process_monitor.sh docky

done

• Save file
• Set permission:

chmod a+x ~/start.sh

Now you can run the program in your terminal/yakuake or whatever you prefer to use:

~/start.sh

and it will start the ~/process_monitor.sh docky. So it'll get startet and restarted if crashes.

You can choose any name you like for "process_monitor.sh" and "start.sh" only .sh is important. But be sure to change it in your textfiles as well.

Now go to your Dash, type in and open "Startup Applications".

• Delete othe set Docky Startup settings
• Create a new one
• Name: Docky or whatever you want to name it
• Command: /home/"your username"/start.sh (for me for ex. /home/kevin/startup.sh)
• Comment: Whatever you like.
• Go to your Docky settings and disable "Start at login"

Now you can restart your Computer and test it.

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