[SOLVED] Script to copy card number to clipboard

[PierreDeQuebec]

Hi,

I share with you a script to copy to the clipboard a card number. The script is completed with a launcher in the menu. For my part, I put a shortcut of launcher on the desktop. Of course, do not use the script to copy a password!

#!/bin/bash
     
# Copy to clipboard the card No. specified by the CARDNO variable.

CARDNO="0123456789"


# Launch klipper service if it is not already running.

if ! ps ax | grep '[k]lipper' > /dev/null
then
    # Start klipper as a process independent of this process.
    nohup klipper &
fi

# Copy to clipboard
qdbus org.kde.klipper /klipper setClipboardContents $CARDNO

# Kill klipper process to leave only the clipboard service in the taskbar.
# cf. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3510673/find-and-kill-a-process-in-one-line-using-bash-and-regex 
# for explanation on the Tip of the [x] with grep.

#kill $(ps aux | grep '[k]lipper' | awk '{print $2}')

There are two small problems with the script. The first appears to be related to Plasma Kubuntu 15.04. It takes two clicks on the icon to get the copy of CARDNO in the clipboard. The first click starts Klipper, the second click makes the copy. The second problem is related to the last line of code commented out. For whatever reason, klipper is not killed.

Suggestions for improvements are welcome.

Thank you.

Pierre

[jlittle]

IMO klipper should already be running, and be left running. So your script reduces to using qdbus to put stuff on the clipboard, which is cool. I hadn't thought to do that.

[LinkBot]

Klipper vs Clipboard widget

Earlier: https://www.kubuntuforums.net/showth...ma-5-Clipboard

[PierreDeQuebec]

Nice, I suspected not have reinvented the wheel. But, why the number is copied at second click?

[oshunluvr]

If you just want to send something to the clipboard, how about piping through xsel ? Like,

echo $CARDNO | xsel -b

Here:

stuart@office:/$ CARDNO="0123456789"
stuart@office:/$ echo $CARDNO | xsel -b
stuart@office:/$ 0123456789
0123456789: command not found

The last command there I just did a Shift-Insert to print the clipboard. xsel is not installed by default though.

[Wheel Inventor]

Wait a moment - i'm starting....

The first click starts Klipper, the second click makes the copy... But, why the number is copied at second click?

Executing the script in the konsole:

$ bash card.sh
Cannot find '.setClipboardContents' in object /klipper at org.kde.klipper

The Klipper start will take a moment. The first click will start the Klipper the second click will do the copy.

You could fix this by adding a wait (sleep) before the qdbus call or add a few lines to check if the Klipper is up and running.

Searching with the 'Bash wait for process start' - a hit: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1...-process-start

The second problem is related to the last line of code commented out. For whatever reason, klipper is not killed.

Powerfull tool: pkill

man pkill

[FONT=monospace]PGREP(1)                                            User Commands                                           PGREP(1)

[B]NAME[/B]
       pgrep, pkill - look up or signal processes based on name and other attributes

[B]SYNOPSIS[/B]
       [B]pgrep[/B] [options] pattern
       [B]pkill[/B] [options] pattern
[/FONT]

[PierreDeQuebec]

oshunluvr : Great! It is much simpler with xsel. I adopt this solution.

Wheel Inventor : Thank you! I should have thought at the delay.

[PierreDeQuebec]

Well, xsel does not write on the plasma clipboard. klipper should be functional. So I have to go start klipper. In short, I inserted a command "sleep 1" and my problem was solved.

[PierreDeQuebec]

Okay, here's a version that works. klipper and clipboard have a relationship rather schizoid! To recall, it seems impossible to interact with clipboard via bash. So I have to go through klipper to start a service and then access the service via qdbus.

Well, it works. Klipper once started, all that I found in the clipboard of klipper is also in Plasma clipboard ... as long as klipper is running. If I stop klipper, all contents of klipper in the Plasma memory's disappears! It's annoying because I wish klipper stop immediately after the "copy" so to make it disappear from the taskbar because the icon of klipper is the same as that of clipboard and that's make a doublon.

#!/bin/bash
     
# Copy a number (CARDNO) into the clipboard.

CARTENO="020833550624"


# Start klipper service if not already running.

if ! ps ax | grep '[k]lipper' > /dev/null
then

    # Start klipper service as an independant service.
    nohup klipper &
    
    # Introduce a delay to allow time for the process to start
    sleep 1
    
fi

# Copy into the clipboard (klipper).
qdbus org.kde.klipper /klipper setClipboardContents $CARTENO

[PierreDeQuebec]

Still need help! Now I want to delete the history of the clipboard. With Klipper, there is the method ClearClipboardHistory. And it works very well. But how do with the Plasma clipboard to erase its historical?

Thanks

[LinkBot]

The clipboard widget is a bit broken; Bug 352171 - clipboard history in systray cannot be really disabled, security problem: https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=352171

KDE forums: KDE 5, how I totally disable clipboard systray app? - https://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=128086