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Accepted
Dave
Asked: 2017-03-13 16:30:58 +0800 CST

How to auto-replace content of .desktop-file depending on current state of a script

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Let's have an easy example:

I run a script which is setting a program either to mode "on" (= 1) or to mode "off" (= 0). The script is getting actuated by a simple click on the regarding .desktop-file.

The script looks like that:

#!/bin/bash

DESKT=/home/user/program.desktop

if [ $(systemctl --user status program | grep -c running) = 0 ]; then
    systemctl --user start program
    echo "Icon=program_active" >> "$DESKT"
    echo "Name=Program working" >> "$DESKT"
else
    systemctl --user stop program
    echo "Icon=Program_inactive" >> "$DESKT"
    echo "Name=Program stopped" >> "$DESKT"
fi

The .desktop-file looks like that:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Program
Exec=program
Icon=program-inactive

My question now is:

If I switch on my program by actuating the .desktop-file, the name of the .desktop-file is getting changed to "Program working" what is fully correct! Unfortunately, the previous icon ("program_inactive") doesn't get changed to the now needed icon "program_active".

Instead of replacing the inactive-icon with the correct active-icon, there will be written a completely new line with "Icon=program_active" instead of replacing the existing line "Icon=program_inactive". Because of that, there are now two lines with "Icon=blabla" what is completely useless of course.

What do I have to do to replace the existing icon-line instead of writing a useless new line? Thanks a lot for your ideas!

bash

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Try overwriting the file instead.

    #!/bin/bash

DESKT=/home/user/program.desktop

if [ $(systemctl --user status program | grep -c running) = 0 ]; then
    systemctl --user start program
    icon=active
    name=working
else
    systemctl --user stop program
    icon=inactive
    name=stopped
fi

cat > "$DESKT" <<EOF
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=Program $name
Exec=program
Icon=program_$icon
EOF

    Explanation:

    The cat <<EOF will copy anything until the next EOF by itself, interpreting variables.

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