givetray

givetray runs terminal commands from the Linux system tray using either named profiles or a temporary profile-free command. Persistent profiles can run one saved command, show live logs, and manage desktop entries.

Dependencies (Linux)

This app uses GTK for windows and AppIndicator for tray integration.

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt install libgtk-3-dev libxdo-dev libappindicator3-dev

Arch/Manjaro:

sudo pacman -S gtk3 xdotool libappindicator-gtk3

Install and Run

From crates.io (recommended):

cargo install givetray
givetray -c default

From source with Cargo:

cargo install --path .
givetray -c default

Build manually:

cargo build --release
./target/release/givetray -c default

On first run, givetray creates ~/.config/givetray/configs/<profile>.toml. Then open Configuration from the tray menu and set your command/script. When launched from a terminal, givetray detaches to the background and returns control to the shell.

Ephemeral mode launches immediately with givetray -- <command...>, does not use a profile, does not write config, keeps tray Start/Stop available for the temporary command, and hides Configuration in the tray menu.

CLI Usage

-c/--config PROFILE is required for app mode and desktop-file mode. Profile names support letters, numbers, -, and _.

givetray -c PROFILE [-cmd COMMAND|--command COMMAND] [--icon ICON_PATH] [--log-file LOG_PATH]
givetray -- <command...>
givetray desktop-file -c PROFILE [-cmd COMMAND|--command COMMAND] [--output-dir DIR] [--autostart] [--icon ICON_PATH]
givetray --help
givetray --version

Examples:

# Persistent profile mode
givetray -c scrcpy
givetray -c scrcpy -cmd "scrcpy --always-on-top -S -w"
givetray -c scrcpy --icon /path/to/icon.png
givetray -c scrcpy --log-file ~/.local/share/givetray/logs/scrcpy.log

# Ephemeral mode
givetray -- notify-send "Backup complete"
givetray -- sh -lc "while true; do date; sleep 60; done"

# Desktop file generation remains profile-based
givetray desktop-file -c scrcpy
givetray desktop-file -c scrcpy --autostart

When -cmd/--command is provided, the profile's saved command is overwritten. Ephemeral mode is temporary and profile-free, so desktop files and saved configuration do not apply even though the tray can still Start/Stop the active command.

Single-Instance Persistent Profiles

Persistent profile mode (-c PROFILE) uses advisory locking to ensure only one instance can own a profile at a time. If you launch a second givetray -c <profile> while another instance is already running that profile:

• The second instance starts as a non-owning session
• Start/Stop and configuration saving are disabled
• The startup message profile already open indicates this

To make changes, close the first instance or use a different profile name.

Desktop Entries

• Desktop filename format: givetray_<profile>.desktop
• Applications location: ~/.local/share/applications
• Autostart location: ~/.config/autostart
• desktop-file writes to Applications by default
• --autostart switches default target to autostart
• Applications toggle controls launcher visibility (NoDisplay=true when hidden)
• A hidden identity desktop file is kept for Wayland icon/window matching
• Session autostart toggle still creates/removes ~/.config/autostart entry

GUI Features

Tray Menu

• Start/Stop: run or stop the configured command
• Stop targets the managed process group, so child processes launched by the command are stopped with it when possible
• Logs: open live log window
• Configuration: edit profile command and toggles in persistent profile mode only
• About: show app info and links
• Exit: stop current process and quit this instance

Logs Window

• Live stdout/stderr streaming
• Rolling history of command output
• Bounded log queue to prevent memory growth
• Under heavy log load, dropped lines are summarized in one coalesced message
• Copy All and Clear actions
• Optional file logging per profile
• Startup recovery messages when a managed run is restored or stale runtime state is cleared

Runtime Recovery

• givetray writes a small runtime-state file for commands it launches itself
• On relaunch, it restores running state when the recorded managed process group is still alive
• If the recorded process group is gone or invalid, givetray clears the stale runtime-state automatically and starts in stopped
• Recovery is conservative and only applies to runs that givetray created and tracked

Configuration Window

• Command/script editor for the active profile
• Run command on launch toggle
• Write logs to file toggle
• Applications visibility toggle
• Session autostart toggle
• Saved/unsaved status with close confirmation

When saving configuration, commands are validated for:

• Non-empty text
• Length within limits
• Valid quoted command line (use sh -lc "..." for shell features like pipes or redirects)

Invalid commands are rejected with an error message.

Atomic Writes

Configuration, runtime state, and desktop files are written atomically to reduce corruption risk.

Sudo Behavior

Password prompting is mode-aware when the configured command starts with sudo:

• Plain sudo prompts for password via GTK dialog
• sudo -n, sudo -A, sudo --askpass skip the password prompt
• sudo -S, sudo --stdin are externally managed; givetray does not inject a password via stdin

Passwords are never stored in config.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome.

• Open an issue first for significant changes so scope and approach can be aligned.
• Keep pull requests focused and include clear reproduction or verification notes.

By submitting a contribution, you agree that your work is licensed under MIT OR Apache-2.0.

License

Licensed under either of:

• MIT license (LICENSE-MIT)
• Apache License, Version 2.0 (LICENSE-APACHE)

at your option.

Support

If givetray helps your workflow, you can support development:

https://buymeacoffee.com/allenguarnes