Adding dialog boxes to shell scripts
Command Line – dialog
© Lead Image © Yanik Chauvin, fotolia.com
Create dialog boxes with checkboxes, progress bars, and many other features that users may find helpful when working at the command line.
Many Bash scripts do not need interfaces. They are run by admins, who are comfortable at the command line. However, if a script is used by everyday users, it may be more friendly if it uses a dialog box for input and messages. For over 25 years, a leading command for boxes has been dialog [1], which can be called from a script so that users can enter input in an ncurses interface. It then returns them to the script when they exit.
The command structure of dialog is somewhat unusual (Listing 1). In addition to the appearance of options in two separate places, note the quotation marks around the text, and the order of height, width, and other box type options. Height is expressed as the number of lines and width as the number of monospaced characters.
The design of the resulting box varies with the options selected. However, it will always have text and may have buttons (such as Yes, No, Help, or OK) or radio buttons for making selections. It may also have a back title for easy identification. When necessary, the box can be navigated by using arrow keys, and it is not supported by a mouse (Figure 1). Once a selection is made, then generally the script will continue with if/then/else statements that correspond to each selection.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Kubuntu Focus Goes Ultra
The Kubuntu Focus team has upped the performance ante of its M2 and Zr laptops with the latest, greatest CPUs from Intel.
-
Linux Gamers May Soon See Less Mouse Lag in KDE Plasma
Gamers using KDE’s Plasma desktop have been suffering from a slight input delay in mouse movement that could lead to getting fragged.
-
Three Lines of Code Improve Linux Storage Performance
A developer changed three lines of code, giving Linux storage performance a 5% bump.
-
AUR Hit Again with Malicious Packages
Once again the Arch User Repository is plagued by a high volume of malicious packages.
-
Alpine Linux 3.24 Features Fresh Desktops and a Newer Kernel
If you're a fan of Alpine Linux, it's time to upgrade because the latest version has been released with KDE Plasma 6.6, Gnome 50, and Linux kernel 6.18 LTS.
-
EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
Comprehensive measures adopted by the European Commission aim to reduce dependency on non-EU countries.
-
Linux Foundation Report Indicates AI Driving Tech Hiring
Within growing security and skills gaps, AI has been found to be a positive driving force behind tech hiring trends in Europe.
-
United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
A new open source portal seeks to coordinate and scale open source efforts across the United Nations system.
-
KDE Linux Drops AUR
KDE Linux developers have dropped the Arch User Repository from the build pipeline due to security concerns; other distributions should consider doing the same.
-
California May Exempt Linux from Its Age-Verification Law
After backlash from the Linux community, California may be backing off on its promise to force all operating systems to verify age, but one platform may still have to comply.