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Mood
Asked: 2011-11-25 01:31:18 +0800 CST

Single instance of the GNOME Terminal?

  • 772

I'd like to know or it is possible to set up the GNOME Terminal in a way that when I open up the terminal and there is already an instance open it'll show that instance and not open up a brand new one.

gnome-terminal

5 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    I wrote a simple shell script using wmctrl to give the Terminal focus. It does exactly what I want.

    First, install wmctrl sudo apt-get install wmctrl.

    Next, fire up a text-editor, copy the following lines.

    #!/bin/sh
SERVICE='gnome-terminal'

if ps ax | grep -v grep | grep $SERVICE > /dev/null
then
  wmctrl -xa $SERVICE
else
  $SERVICE
fi

    Save the file somewhere where you usually keep your shell scripts. In my case I did: ~/bin/single_instance.sh

    cd to the directory (cd ~/bin) and make the file executable chmod +x single_instance.sh

    Now, open up Main Menu select Accessories » Terminal press properties and replace command with the script: ~/bin/single_instance.sh

    Open up System Settings » Keyboard » Shortcuts. Disable Launch Terminal shortcut by giving it a backspace. Make a custom shortcut. Again fill in the path and name to the script and give it the key combination ctrl + alt + t.

    You’re done, single instance terminal...

    • 9

  2. Add --tab to the launcher command. Then you end up with only one app. open.

    ~$ gnome-terminal --help-all
:
--tab       Open a new tab in the last-opened window with the default profile
    • 2

  3. It is the default behavior if you use Mod4+# (Mod4 = Super = "Windows" key, # is number in launcher) shortcut to open any application.

    • 0

  4. I generalized and simplfied @Mood 's script a bit. Now it takes a command line parameter and use pgrep instead.

    sudo apt-get install procps

    The script:

    #!/usr/bin/env bash

if pgrep $1
then
    wmctrl -xa $1
else
    $1
fi
    • 0

  5. I'd like to add my own script, since I find it extremely useful:

    1. If there is a gnome-terminal in the current workspace, then it brings it to the front and gives it focus
    2. If there isn't any gnome-terminal in the current workspace, it switches the workspace and brings the first existing gnome-terminal it finds to front and gives it focus
    3. If there are no gnome-terminal instances running, it opens a new instance, brings it to front and gives it focus

    I configured Ctrl+Alt+T shortcut to run this script and I find it even more comfortable than Guake or Tilda.

    #!/usr/bin/env sh

# APP is the binary name you see when you do ps
APP="gnome-terminal"
# WIN_CLASS is the window class you see when you do wmctrl -lx
WIN_CLASS="gnome-terminal-server.Gnome-terminal"

# Use the app from current workpace first, or any if not available
WORKSPACE=$(wmctrl -d | grep '\*' | cut -d ' ' -f1)
TPID=$(ps aux | pgrep $APP)
if [ "$TPID" ]
then
  QTERM_WIN=$(wmctrl -lx | grep $WIN_CLASS | grep $WORKSPACE  | awk 'NR == 1 {print $1}')
  if [ "$QTERM_WIN" ]
  then
    wmctrl -ia $QTERM_WIN
  else
    # No valid app found in the current workspace, switch to any
    QTERM_WIN=$(wmctrl -lx | grep $WIN_CLASS | awk 'NR == 1 {print $1}')
    wmctrl -ia $QTERM_WIN
  fi
else
  $APP &
fi

    I use it with QTerminal but I modified to fit your needs. Good luck

    • 0