dmenu_run2 - Enhanced Application Launcher

A customizable application launcher that extends the functionality of dmenu_run by allowing custom commands, dynamic script outputs, and alias support. Perfect for i3 window manager users who want more than just application launching.

Features

• Custom Commands: Add frequently used commands without modifying system-wide configurations
• Dynamic Scripts: Integration of scripts that generate entries on demand
• Alias Support: Define and use aliases in your command list
• Cross-Platform: Seamless support for both X11 (dmenu) and Wayland (bemenu)
• FZF Integration: Provides FZF environment variable for nested fuzzy finding
• Extensible: Easy to extend with your own scripts and commands

Installation

Prerequisites

• dmenu (for X11) or bemenu (for Wayland)
• Shell environment (bash, zsh, etc.)

Quick Install

1. Save the script as dmenu_run2
2. Make it executable:

chmod +x dmenu_run2

3. Place it in your PATH or use the full path in your window manager config

Configuration

Environment Variables

• DMENU_RUN_COMMANDS: Path to a file containing custom commands (one per line)
• DMENU_RUN_BIN: Path to a directory containing executable scripts that output commands
• DMENU: Override the default dmenu command (default: dmenu, bemenu on Wayland)
• DMENU_NO_PATH: Set to "true" to exclude system PATH applications
• FZF: Automatically set to current dmenu command for nested script usage

Example Setup

# In your shell profile or window manager config
export DMENU_RUN_COMMANDS="$HOME/.config/dmenu/commands"
export DMENU_RUN_BIN="$HOME/.config/dmenu/scripts"

Usage

Basic Usage

# Simple launch
./dmenu_run2

# With dmenu options
./dmenu_run2 -p 'Run:' -i -l 10

i3 Window Manager Integration

Add to your i3 config (~/.config/i3/config):

bindsym $mod+d exec DMENU_RUN_BIN="$HOME/.config/dmenu/scripts" DMENU_RUN_COMMANDS="$HOME/.config/dmenu/commands" /path/to/dmenu_run2 -p 'Run:'

Custom Commands File

Create a file at $DMENU_RUN_COMMANDS with your frequently used commands:

# Network commands
nmcli radio wifi on
nmcli radio wifi off
systemctl suspend
systemctl poweroff

# Aliases
alias wifi on="nmcli radio wifi on"
alias wifi off="nmcli radio wifi off"
alias suspend="systemctl suspend"

Alias Format

Extracting aliases is very simplExtracting aliases is very simple, it starts with the alias keyword followed by the alias name, followed by the equal sign = and the command. You can also include arguments and spaces in the alias name and the command.

alias name=command --with-args
alias name with spaces=command2

The script will extract the alias name for display and resolve to the actual command when selected.

Dynamic Scripts

Check the examples/scripts directory for additional example scripts:

• examples/scripts/network: NetworkManager connection management
• examples/scripts/bluetooth: Bluetooth device control
• examples/scripts/tmux: Tmux script loader

All scripts in the repository are ready to use - just copy them to your $DMENU_RUN_BIN directory and make them executable.

FZF Integration

Scripts executed through dmenu_run2 can use the FZF environment variable to maintain consistency:

#!/bin/sh
# File: ~/.config/dmenu/scripts/dictionary

fuzzy_find="${FZF:-fzf}"
$fuzzy_find < /usr/share/dict/words

When called from dmenu_run2, this will use dmenu. When called directly, it falls back to fzf. That way, you can use the same script in different contexts without modification.

Advanced Configuration

Custom dmenu Command

Override the default dmenu command:

export DMENU="rofi -dmenu -i -no-fixed-num-lines -no-show-icons"

Exclude System Applications

To only show custom commands and scripts:

export DMENU_NO_PATH="true"

Examples

Complete Setup

1. Create directories:

mkdir -p ~/.config/dmenu/scripts

2. Create commands file ~/.config/dmenu/commands:

# System controls
systemctl suspend
systemctl poweroff
systemctl reboot

# Network
nmcli radio wifi on
nmcli radio wifi off

# Aliases
alias lock="i3lock -c 000000"
alias screenshot="scrot ~/Pictures/screenshot_%Y%m%d_%H%M%S.png"

3. Create a network script ~/.config/dmenu/scripts/network:

#!/bin/sh
nmcli -f active,name connection show | awk 'BEGIN { FS="  +" } NR > 1 {
  if ($1 == "no") {
    printf("alias %s up=nmcli connection up \"%s\"\n", $2, $2)
  } else {
    printf("alias %s down=nmcli connection down \"%s\"\n", $2, $2)
  }
}'

```bash
chmod +x ~/.config/dmenu/scripts/network

4. Add to i3 config:

bindsym $mod+d exec DMENU_RUN_BIN="$HOME/.config/dmenu/scripts" DMENU_RUN_COMMANDS="$HOME/.config/dmenu/commands" dmenu_run2 -p 'Run:'

Troubleshooting

Scripts Not Executing

Ensure scripts in DMENU_RUN_BIN are executable:

chmod +x ~/.config/dmenu/scripts/*

Commands Not Appearing

Check that your files exist and are readable:

ls -la "$DMENU_RUN_COMMANDS"
ls -la "$DMENU_RUN_BIN"

Wayland Issues

The script automatically detects Wayland and uses bemenu. Install it if needed:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install bemenu

# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S bemenu

Related Links

• Original blog post
• GitHub Gist
• dmenu
• bemenu
• i3 window manager

Interactive Pipeline Script (dmenu_script)

The repository also includes dmenu_script, a utility that creates interactive command pipelines where each dmenu selection becomes input for the next command execution.

How It Works

The script creates a loop where:

1. An executable script generates options
2. User selects an option via dmenu
3. The selection becomes input to the script for the next iteration
4. Process continues until empty selection or command completion

Usage

./dmenu_script <executable_file> <dmenu_options>

Example Script

Create an interactive script that responds to selections ~/.config/dmenu/scripts/interactive_example:

#!/usr/bin/env sh

case "$1" in
  "")
    # Initial menu
    printf 'System\nNetwork\nApplications'
    ;;
  "System")
    printf 'Lock Screen\nSuspend\nReboot\nShutdown'
    ;;
  "Network")
    printf 'WiFi On\nWiFi Off\nConnections'
    ;;
  "Applications")
    printf 'Firefox\nTerminal\nText Editor'
    ;;
  "Lock Screen")
    i3lock -c 000000
    exit 0
    ;;
  "Suspend")
    systemctl suspend
    exit 0
    ;;
  "WiFi On")
    nmcli radio wifi on
    exit 0
    ;;
  "Firefox")
    firefox &
    exit 0
    ;;
  *)
    echo "Unknown option: $1" >&2
    exit 1
    ;;
esac

chmod +x ~/.config/dmenu/scripts/interactive_example

Running Interactive Scripts

# Basic usage
./dmenu_script ~/.config/dmenu/scripts/interactive_example

# With dmenu options
./dmenu_script ~/.config/dmenu/scripts/interactive_example -p "Select:" -l 10

# i3 binding
bindsym $mod+i exec /path/to/dmenu_script ~/.config/dmenu/scripts/interactive_example -p "Menu:"

Script Requirements

Interactive scripts should:

• Accept an optional argument ($1)
• Output selectable options (one per line)
• Handle the empty case ("") for initial menu
• Exit with status 0 when a final action is performed
• Exit with non-zero status on errors

Advanced Example

Here's a system monitor that demonstrates the interactive pipeline concept ~/.config/dmenu/scripts/system_monitor:

#!/usr/bin/env sh

case "$1" in
    ""|"Back to main menu")
        # Main menu
        echo "CPU Usage"
        echo "Memory Usage"
        echo "Disk Usage"
        echo "Network"
        echo "Processes"
        echo "Quit"
        ;;
    "CPU Usage")
        # Show CPU info and options
        top -bn1 | grep "Cpu(s)" | awk '{print $2}' | sed 's/%us,/% CPU usage/'
        echo "Show top CPU processes"
        echo "Back to main menu"
        echo "Quit"
        ;;
    "Memory Usage")
        # Show memory info and options
        free -h | grep "Mem:" | awk '{printf "Memory: %s used / %s total\n", $3, $2}'
        echo "Show memory-heavy processes"
        echo "Back to main menu"
        echo "Quit"
        ;;
    "Disk Usage")
        # Show disk usage
        df -h / | tail -1 | awk '{printf "Root: %s used / %s total (%s)\n", $3, $2, $5}'
        echo "Back to main menu"
        echo "Quit"
        ;;
    "Network")
        # Show network info
        echo "Active connections:"
        ss -tuln | wc -l | awk '{printf "%d active connections\n", $1-1}'
        echo "Show network connections"
        echo "Back to main menu"
        echo "Quit"
        ;;
    "Show top CPU processes")
        ps aux --sort=-%cpu | head -6 | tail -5 | awk '{printf "%s: %.1f%%\n", $11, $3}'
        echo "Back to main menu"
        echo "Quit"
        ;;
    "Show memory-heavy processes")
        ps aux --sort=-%mem | head -6 | tail -5 | awk '{printf "%s: %.1f%%\n", $11, $4}'
        echo "Back to main menu"
        ;;
    "Quit")
        exit 0
        ;;
    *)
        echo "Unknown option: $1" >&2
        exit 1
        ;;
esac

chmod +x ~/.config/dmenu/scripts/system_monitor

This example shows practical navigation:

1. First run: Shows main system categories
2. User selects: Memory Usage
3. Second run: Shows current memory usage + options to drill down
4. User selects: Show memory-heavy processes
5. Third run: Shows top memory-consuming processes + actions

Each selection navigates deeper into system information while maintaining context.

License

MIT License - See the script header for full license text.