==============
notify-send.py

A python script for sending desktop notifications from the shell.

About

Libnotify is part of many scripts in the Linux world. It utilizes many
of the specified features of the Desktop Notifications Specification
and makes them accessible to shell-scripts. It does not however
allow to replace an existing notification with the replaces-id. This
is a known bug_ since 2008 and has a patch_ since 2012. The patch is still not
upstream though (2018).

.. _bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libnotify/+bug/257135

.. _patch: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/libnotify/+bug/257135/comments/10

This python script utilizes the notify2 package and exposes the
functionality to the shell.

Differences between notify-send.py and notify-send

• In notify-send.py -h shows help instead of being the parameter for
  hints. For hints use --hint.
• In notify-send.py -r ID and notify-send.py --replaces-id ID
  exists. In order to replace a notification call notify-send.py
  with the ID that was returned by the notification to be replaced.
• notify-send.py returns the ID of the newly created notification.
• notify-send.py --replaces-process NAME exists.
  Every notification that gets created with the same NAME will replace
  every notification before it with the same NAME. If called with this
  parameter notify-send.py might block, best to be called with a
  trailing &.
• notify-send.py -h has action-support (buttons). Try
  notify-send.py "Yes or no?" --action ok:OK cancel:Cancel

Installation

Requires python 3.

From PyPI:

.. code:: bash

pip install notify-send.py

From repo:

.. code:: bash

git clone https://github.com/phuhl/notify-send.py
cd notify-send.py
pip install .

Usage

.. code:: console

$ notify-send.py -h

::

usage: notify-send.py [-h] [-u LEVEL] [-t TIME] [-a APP_NAME]
[-i ICON[,ICON...]] [-c TYPE[,TYPE...]]
[--hint [TYPE:NAME:VALUE [TYPE:NAME:VALUE ...]]]
[-r ID] [--replaces-process NAME]
[--action [KEY:NAME [KEY:NAME ...]]]
SUMMARY [BODY]

positional arguments:
SUMMARY Summary of the notification. Usage of \n and \t
is possible.
BODY Body of the notification. Usage of \n and \t is
possible.

optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-u LEVEL, --urgency LEVEL
Specifies the urgency level (low, normal,
critical).
-t TIME, --expire-time TIME
Specifies the timeout in milliseconds at which
to expire the notification.
-a APP_NAME, --app-name APP_NAME
Specifies the app name for the icon
-i ICON[,ICON...], --icon ICON[,ICON...]
Specifies an icon filename or stock icon to
display.
-c TYPE[,TYPE...], --category TYPE[,TYPE...]
Specifies the notification category.
--hint [TYPE:NAME:VALUE [TYPE:NAME:VALUE ...]]
Specifies basic extra data to pass. Valid types
are int, double, string, boolean and byte.
-r ID, --replaces-id ID
Specifies the id of the notification that should
be replaced.
--replaces-process NAME
Specifies the name of a notification. Every
notification that gets created with the same
NAME will replace every notification before it
with the same NAME.
--action [KEY:NAME [KEY:NAME ...]]
Specifies actions for the notification. The
action with the key "default" will be dispatched
on click of the notification. Key is the return
value, name is the display-name on the button.

notify-send[.py] as root user

In order to display notifications, even if libnotify or
notify-send.py is used from the root user this script is helpful.
You need to customize it with your username and userid (which probably is
1000 but can be found out by running cat /etc/passwd | grep <username>).

notify-send-from-root.sh:

.. code:: bash

#!/bin/bash
USERNAME=
USERID=1000

export XAUTHORITY=/home/$USERNAME/.Xauthority
export DISPLAY=:0
export DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/$USERID/bus

if [ "$(/usr/bin/id -u)" != "$USERID" ] ; then
sudo -u $USERNAME XAUTHORITY=/home/$USERNAME/.Xauthority DISPLAY=:0 DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS=unix:path=/run/user/$USERID/bus /usr/bin/notify-send.py "$@"
else
/usr/bin/notify-send.py "$@"
fi

Examples (Volume and Brightness pop-ups)

• Volume control-pop-ups:
  https://github.com/phuhl/linux_notification_center#example-volume-indicator
• Brightness control-pop-ups:
  https://github.com/phuhl/linux_notification_center#example-brightness-indicator

See also

Also take a look at my notification-daemon_ inspired by Dunst_, but with several improvements, including the possibility of a transparent background and a notification center that stores notifications.

.. _notification-daemon: https://github.com/phuhl/linux_notification_center

.. _Dunst: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Dunst