Command Construction for aterm

[SamK]

I'm trying to create a .desktop file that opens an aterm and displays some text from a file then remains open at a command prompt once the text is shown.  The aterm manual provides some help, but I'm still left with a couple of problems.

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aterm -geometry 125x40+0+0 -title WindowTitle -e cat /path/to/text/file.txtopens aterm, does not display the text and immediately closes the aterm window.

Is there a way to keep the window open (an equivalent -hold in xterm)?
What is the construction of the command to display the text from the file?
   

[tinypoodle]

less is more!   

(replace 'cat' by 'less')

[tinypoodle]

Actually on second thought, if I wouldn't have to rely on base only, I would use e3 for that instead of less, saving memory (even with c2fs) and also looking better, IMHO.

[SamK]

What I am after is a method in which aterm remains open at a command prompt once the text is shown to enable input of commands.  Using less the aterm window closes when less is closed.
   

[tinypoodle]

My bad...
Seems I had overlooked the details of the first sentence  

[ixbrian]

Try creating a file that contains this:

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cat /path/to/text/file
sh

Make the file executable (chmod +x filename), and then call this script from your aterm command. 

[MikeLockmoore]

@ixbrian: Wow, I've been wanting an easy way to do this to add extra program associations to my personal Fluff config file.  Thanks!

Example: You want to be able to do hexdumps of any file from Fluff.  Create the following as /home/tc/hexdump.sh:

Code: [Select]

#!/bin/sh
hexdump -C $1 | more
sh
Now the following can be added to the .fluff.conf file:

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file, Hex, aterm -e /home/tc/hexdump.sh %s &
Now a paging hex dump for any file is only a few clicks away. 
--
Mike L.

[SamK]

Try creating a file that contains this:

Code: [Select]

cat /path/to/text/file
sh

Make the file executable (chmod +x filename), and then call this script from your aterm command. 

Many thanks, that works well.

It has sparked a development of the idea...

Is it possible to create a .desktop file that opens an aterm in the manner now working,  i.e. specifying the executable script but also appending the text file to the Exec line? Something like this

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Exec=aterm param param param -e /path/to/executable/script.sh /path/to/text/file.txt
The idea being to have the executable script open the text file as %1.

I have tried with this executable script

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cat %1
echo ; echo
sh
but it reports cannot find %1. 

[ixbrian]

but it reports cannot find %1. 

Try $1 instead of %1.

Brian

[SamK]

but it reports cannot find %1. 

Try $1 instead of %1.

Brian

Once again thanks.  This does exactly what I want.  The two assists have helped produce a most useful result.
   

[tinypoodle]

@ixbrian: Wow, I've been wanting an easy way to do this to add extra program associations to my personal Fluff config file.  Thanks!

Example: You want to be able to do hexdumps of any file from Fluff.  Create the following as /home/tc/hexdump.sh:

Code: [Select]

#!/bin/sh
hexdump -C $1 | more
sh
Now the following can be added to the .fluff.conf file:

Code: [Select]

file, Hex, aterm -e /home/tc/hexdump.sh %s &
Now a paging hex dump for any file is only a few clicks away. 
--
Mike L.

More wow!

Inspired by this thread I adapted the idea and implemented a hexdump pager to associate files with in rox filer on my system.
Once that worked I was encouraged, and with the same concept I respectively created a strings viewer which for me is more needed/desirable.   

This seems to be one of those concepts which are way too simple for a single mind to come up with, thank you all who contributed.

[SamK]

Here's a link to a topic showing the way in which I applied the answers supplied.  I find it very useful - again many thanks.
http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php?topic=8015.msg43000#msg43000

[^thehatsrule^]

If you just want it a one liner, you could do something like

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aterm -e sh -c "cat file && exec sh"

[SamK]

If you just want it a one liner, you could do something like

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aterm -e sh -c "cat file && exec sh"

Thanks for the idea.  I have updated  http://forum.tinycorelinux.net/index.php?topic=8015.msg43483#msg43483  as it does away with one of the extensions originally used.

With this refinement I was unable to ensure some distance between the end of the text file and the command prompt.  In the original it was done by multiple echoes, but I could not find a way to make it work in the one-liner.

[gerald_clark]

aterm -e sh -c "cat file && echo -e "\n\n" && exec sh"