less, Powerful Not-So-CLI (:-) Text Viewer and Launcher

[musher0]

Hi.

I couldn't get j4-dmenu to compile. There was a message about the
compiler not being able to connect to the j4-dmenu github site properly.
I got the same message with any archive variant of j4-dmenu. So I
used less to take my revenge!

Using less, I wrote a pseudo-dmenu to list the executables buried in the
*.desktop files at /usr/share/applications.



It works like this: you launch the list, you find the app you want to
launch in the list, then you type <!application > on the line provided by
less. You can alternatively highlight the name of the app in the list, copy
it with the middle button of your mouse, and then type exclamation
mark, Shift-Insert and Return.

To return to the list immediately after the program is launched, you can
add space+ampersand to the name of the executable.

For example, to launch dillo and return to the list immediately:

Code: Select all

!dillo &

Another usage note, from the script itself:

(...)
# Usage: from CLI you can limit the display to a subset, like so:
# menu-share-apps.sh p will list all p*.desktop files.
# From the launcher, lists all *.desktop files.(...)

So you can also work this script selectively from the command line
terminal and ask for a reduced listing, for the a*.desktop files or
the p*.desktop files, for example.

If you use the launcher, all entries are displayed. This script launcher is
also in the zip archive below.

Finally, the entries are numbered. Numbering makes it easier for you to
find your way around in the list. Power users can easily have up to 300
*.desktop files in /usr/share/applications. So, numbering is good.

Caveat 1: please check your *.desktop files for any composite line at
< Exec= >, make those into executable wrappers in a suitable folder,
and replace the composite line with the name of the wrapper. Same
with < java -jar etc. > commands, and with lines containing a "%" sign.
This is not a frivolous request. If you don't do that, the list will become
jaggered, and the program <> category concordance will be off.

Caveat 2: launching programs through less exposes their errors in the
alternate panel that opens in less... Users, do not be surprised,
although you will be, undoubtedly. Some well-known apps are full of
errors, you'll see... and they run in spite of them, God knows why!

Programmers: I didn't do this on purpose, less has always been like
that, and launching an app from any terminal shows the same. So
please double-check, triple-check, quadruple-check your work if you
don't want to lose face???!!!

TODO: a *.desktop file for this script! (hehe)

In short, I wrote this script out of spite, but by golly, it turned out to
be almost as good as dmenu, and it has its own pluses. So I decided to
keep it! Enjoy!

musher0

[musher0]

Hello.

This is for those who prefer viewing the *.desktop list by category.
Same idea as above, except that the category column appears first.
Has its own launcher as well.

Useful tips once in less:
* the / key starts a search
* the n key continues it
* typing h brings up the help page.

BFN.

musher0

[musher0]

User note

If you intend to close the category list after having launched a program
from it, launch the program like so:

Code: Select all

!nohup program

(Found on an archlinux forum thread. Starting at # 10 on that page.)

The < nohup program > command sort of breaks the relationship
between the launcher and the program and frees the program from the
launcher. (My weak understanding.) Otherwise, if you simply launch the
program with

Code: Select all

!program

and you later exit the category list by typing 'q', the program you just
launched will close too. Save yourself the frustration and launch your
program with:

Code: Select all

!nohup program

Bye for now.

musher0

[musher0]

Hello, all.

Here is an enriched version of the menu-ShareApps-cat script above.

• * Has two additional help lines at the bottom explaining how to
  __ launch a listed app using the middle-button of your mouse
  * Integrates info in previous post
  * Contains its own desktop file
  * Smaller footprint on screen
  * Presented as a *.pet file.

Enjoy! BFN.

musher0

[tallboy]

It works like this: you launch the list, you find the app you want to
launch in the list, then you type <!application > on the line provided by
less. You can alternatively highlight the name of the app in the list, copy
it with the middle button of your mouse, and then type exclamation
mark, Shift-Insert and Return.

Hmmm, I actually use lynx to the same effect, but I usually start by navigating the hierarchy to find a document that I want to open in the application of my choise. Less is one of the applications I use most frequently, and is set in the preferences. Most lynx functions are reached with only the 4 arrow keys. Very fast!

tallboy

[musher0]

Hello, tallboy.

Hmm... Got to check that. But I'm using links2 as my secondary browser.

So you're using lynx to open documents -- html docs I presume?
Also to launch applications? I'm not sure I fully understand your post.

BFN.

musher0

[tallboy]

Hi musher0. Although lynx is a text-based web-browser, I mainly use it as a local file browser, because it is so very fast to navigate through a file hierarchy, with three fingers on the arrow keys. When I am in a directory and see the file I want to open, I navigate down the list of files, and when I reach the file, I click the right arrow to open it, in the background if an external program is used. Lynx uses the mime repository to find a suitable application, or a list of applications, your choise! Clicking the left arrow bring you back into the directory, and you can navigate to find other files. Lynx is extremely configurable, you can for example set less to open text documents, if you like that, and there are lots of key shortcuts to use.

I will come back to this matter later, I have a lot of personal family matters which take up much of my time right now. In the meantime, you should download lynx and play!

tallboy

[musher0]

Hello, all.

I've been busy with another type of launch base | menu based on the less
file pager, the latest version of which is here. It's a bilingual EN & FR version:
it defaults to English if the system language variable ($LANG) is not
French. The script doesn't use any external utility to number entries, but
does include the very nice Anka Coder Condensed font from the Open
Font Library (-- https://fontlibrary.org/en/font/anka-coder-condensed --).

In short, you can use the numbers in the list as well as regular copy-and-
paste to run the apps, from a list generated from the *.desktop files.

I intend to introduce it properly in English in its own thread, but in the
meantime, a couple of tests by brave pioneers would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

~~~~
On a more technical front, I've been trying to compile the latest version
of less, v. 481, and I get an error message concerning sed towards the
end of the configure part. I tried to compile it in various Puppies
(librepup, Puppy Precise 5.4.3, Racy 5.5) and the message remains the
same. I never got this message before, so if you know what it's about,
I'd be grateful. There exists an archlinux binary of less-481, but it lacks
some libs to run on our Puppies.

BFN.

musher0

[musher0]

Hello all.

The latest less, less version 481, was published 16 Oct 2015.

I compiled it on upupRaring-3.9.9.2 with "local" regex-comp.

The release notes are here.

Enjoy!

mushero

[Keef]

musher0

There looks to be a slight error in this section:

Code: Select all

Aide="\t   \E[1;33mType '!appl\. &' or '!nohup appl\. &' AND <Return>,
\t     \E[1;33mor '!0', <Return> and the number of the app, OR
\t\t \E[1;second33m'!0' 'number of the app' and <Return>."

- duplication of the last bit.

I like the idea of terminal app launchers, and this looks good. The method of input does seem a little awkward though. Also, the '!' does not appear until I type it, so the instructions do not tally with what is on the screen
(this is on the latest Slacko 6.3.0).

[musher0]

Thanks for trying it out, Keef, and for flagging the typo.

I believe I corrected the typo in the version 4.3a, that I uploaded last hight, here.

I think there is a need for such a menu + launcher if using lighter window managers.
But I've come to realize that it may be appreciated by people using other wm's who
enjoy the speed typing allows.

If you notice anything else, don't hesitate to inform me, please. Thanks in advance.

BFN.

musher0

[musher0]

Hello all!

Just bringing back this important utility in the current flow of things!

Please see above to download the latest version of the full and real < less > to replace
the useless skeleton provided by default in Puppy through the busybox package.

Enjoy!

[musher0]

Hello all.

Please find attached less-481 PLUS the entire lesspipe package from Aug. 1, 2015.
(The latest AFAIK.)

Reference URLs:
less : http://greenwoodsoftware.com/less
lesspipe : https://github.com/wofr06/lesspipe

Interest :
lesspipe expands the reading capacity of less, to:

• -- the contents of tar and zip files
  -- OpenOffice's swx format
  -- html
  -- rtf
  -- ps
  -- color codes
  -- etc.

The doc explains it quite nicely.

Enjoy!

[learnhow2code]

years ago, someone asked me for a script idea to do using pygtk.

my reply? "how about a graphical version of less?" (his version would include color -r support.)

this was inspired by leafpad, which is often what i use for graphical less (find /tmp | leafpad)

but piping to leafpad isnt as reliable as using a pygtk-based graphical less. its great to see that someone else likes/implements this idea, and it sounds like it has some great extras too. first download of the new version! running in refractahrpup in refracta mode.

[tallboy]

Thank you for the upgrade, musher0.
On the downside, I get an error message when trying to launch it in my LupPlus 5.2.8.005-1

Code: Select all

# less
less: error while loading shared libraries: libtinfo.so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory

I googled libtinfo, and found some references to compile errors.
I'm satisfied with the 470 version so far.

tallboy

[musher0]

Hello folks.

Here is less-487, published last month.
What's new in this version is listed here.

I've compiled on the Puduan-6, and it runs fine on it.
Untested on other Puppies.

If you have problems such as the ones described above,
please let me know and I'll try to solve them. TIA.

BFN.

[musher0]

Hi.

Here is less-530, published 16 February 2018 for general use.
http://www.greenwoodsoftware.com/less

Compiled on/for xenial-7.0.6. Enjoy! BFN.