provide shortcuts for scripts that are in path and are executable

[arthurzenika]

I have a bunch of custom scripts in $HOME/bin (that is in my bash path) which I use a lot. But I also use a some software that does not have Desktop shortcuts as understood by gnome and other environments. It would be nice for albert to pick up on those, or at least make it configurable.

• Operating system

ubuntu

• Desktop environment

awesome

• Qt version

zesty version

• Albert version

v0.12.0

• How you installed Albert (e.g. ppa:name, aur or from source)

ubuntu zesty webupd8 ppa

• Steps to reproduce

add myscript to $HOME/bin, make sure it is in PATH and that it is executable

• Expected behaviour

type myscript and get the shortcut type xeyes and get the shortcut for /usr/bin/xeyes

• Actual behaviour

type myscript and get nothing type xeyes and get nothing

[arthurzenika]

It would also be nice to be able to type "evince" instead of "Document Viewer"

[ManuelSchneid3r]

exec keys in desktop entries come in v0.13. For executables there are at lease two ways. Index it with the files ext and use the alternative actions or use the terminal extension. Read the docs.

[ManuelSchneid3r]

Just realized that the alternative action is part of v0.13 too, please be patient it will be released soon.

[vspinu]

I think this is a pretty common pattern. The problem with files extension is that one cannot allow for symlinks for specific directories, and as executables in bin folder tend to be symlinks they are not shown.

I think "follow symlinks" does a bit too much here. I think it should propose the symlink itself in the completion.

[vspinu]

679 elaborates on this but it's unfortunately closed.

[ManuelSchneid3r]

@vspinu this issue is too old to use it as context. You are doing it wrong. You should not use the files extension to try to index executables. There is the terminal extension that does nothing else but handling the executables in PATH in whichever ways you want it. Run it directly, in your shell, in a terminal, how It should exit, and you can pass params, these are things the files extension will never be able to do for you, simply because its not its responsibility. Further indexing all executables in path would be absolute overkill and pollute your output.

[vspinu]

You are right. Using file extension doesn't make much sense. I just mentioned it because you proposed to use it for execs, which I guess is now no longer relevant.

I am using Terminal extension and it rocks! I just don't like that I have to prefix it with >. IIn my mind Applications and execs are the same and the difference in UI is not warranted. It's inconvenient to each time thing whether it's an application of exec what you want to launch. Would it be possible to add an option to Terminal extension to make ">" prefix optional?

FWIW, the KRunner (which I just ditched after many years of use) does not require prefix for execs and allows for command params.

[aj3423]

In case anyone also wants to disable the ">" trigger, edit the souce code:

in fle albert/plugins/terminal/src/extension.cpp

void Terminal::Extension::handleQuery(Core::Query * query) const {
    // if ( !query->isTriggered() || query->string().trimmed().isEmpty() )    <----- remove these 2 lines
    //     return;

and file albert/plugins/terminal/src/extension.h

  // QStringList triggers() const override { return {">"}; }   <----- remove this