Using KDialog
KDialog can be used to show nice dialog boxes from shell scripts. In Debian(external link) it's part of the kde-baseapps-bin package, which provides core binaries for the KDE(external link) base applications.
A nice guide to the basic use of KDialog(external link) can be found at KDE TechBase(external link), unfortunately it doesn't cover all the capabilities of KDialog. This page attempts to show some of the undocumented and less well known capabilities of KDialog.
Another good site for information about KDialog is Little Girl's Mostly Linux Blog(external link), while it hasn't been updated for a while, I've recently corresponded with the author and I expect she'll add more information soon.
Options
Usage: kdialog [Qt-options] [KDE-options] [options] [arg]
Generic options:
--help |
Show help about options |
--help-qt |
Show Qt specific options |
--help-kde |
Show KDE specific options |
--help-all |
Show all options |
--author |
Show author information |
-v, --version |
Show version information |
--license |
Show license information |
-- |
End of options |
Qt options:
--display <displayname> |
Use the X-server display displayname |
--session <sessionId> |
Restore the application for the given sessionId |
--cmap |
Causes the application to install a private color map on an 8-bit display |
--ncols <count> |
Limits the number of colors allocated in the color cube on an 8-bit display, if the application is using the QApplication::ManyColor color specification |
--nograb |
tells Qt to never grab the mouse or the keyboard |
--dograb |
running under a debugger can cause an implicit -nograb, use -dograb to override |
--sync |
switches to synchronous mode for debugging |
--fn, --font <fontname> |
defines the application font |
--bg, --background <color> |
sets the default background color and an application palette (light and dark shades are calculated) |
--fg, --foreground <color> |
sets the default foreground color |
--btn, --button <color> |
sets the default button color |
--name <name> |
sets the application name |
--title <title> |
sets the application title (caption) |
--testability |
load the testability framework |
--visual TrueColor |
forces the application to use a TrueColor visual on an 8-bit display |
--inputstyle <inputstyle> |
sets XIM (X Input Method) input style. Possible values are onthespot, overthespot, offthespot and root |
--im <XIM server> |
set XIM server |
--noxim |
disable XIM |
--reverse |
mirrors the whole layout of widgets |
--stylesheet <file.qss> |
applies the Qt stylesheet to the application widgets |
--graphicssystem <system> |
use a different graphics system instead of the default one, options are raster and opengl (experimental) |
--qmljsdebugger <port> |
QML JS debugger information. Application must be built with -DQT_DECLARATIVE_DEBUG for the debugger to be enabled |
KDE options:
--caption <caption> |
Use caption as name in the titlebar |
--icon <icon> |
Use icon as the application icon |
--config <filename> |
Use alternative configuration file |
--nocrashhandler |
Disable crash handler, to get core dumps |
--waitforwm |
Waits for a WM_NET compatible windowmanager |
--style <style> |
sets the application GUI style |
--geometry <geometry> |
sets the client geometry of the main widget - see man X for the argument format (usually WidthxHeight+XPos+YPos) |
The return value ($?) from these dialog boxes is:-
- Yes, OK or Continue returns
0 - No returns
1 - Cancel returns
2
Undocumented Options
In most instances the dialogs will allow a subset of HTML with <text>
Valid tags are <hn>, <p>, <hr />, <p>, <img>, <ul>, <ol>, <b>, <i>, and <u>
In some instances <a> will render but not launch a browser or email client (i.e. an image can be fetched, and sometimes an option to copy the link will show as a right-click option).
Example:-
Dialogs
--yesno <text> | Question message box with yes/no buttons |
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--yesnocancel <text> | Question message box with yes/no/cancel buttons |
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--warningyesno <text> | Warning message box with yes/no buttons |
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--warningcontinuecancel <text> | Warning message box with continue/cancel buttons |
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--warningyesnocancel <text> | Warning message box with yes/no/cancel buttons |
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--yes-label <text> | Use text as Yes button label |
kdialog --warningyesnocancel "Porta dignissim senectus nibh dignissim odio conubia ve, dui ve eros." --yes-label "Lorem"  |
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--no-label <text> | Use text as No button label |
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--cancel-label <text> | Use text as Cancel button label |
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--continue-label <text> | Use text as Continue button label |
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--sorry <text> | 'Sorry' message box |
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--detailedsorry <text> <details> | 'Sorry' message box with expandable Details field |
A subset of HTML can be used in both the <text> and the <details>  |
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--error <text> | 'Error' message box |
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--detailederror <text> <details> | 'Error' message box with expandable Details field |
A subset of HTML can be used in both the <text> and the <details>  |
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--msgbox <text> | Message Box dialog |
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--inputbox <text> <init> | Input Box dialog |
Returns <init> text kdialog --inputbox "Nunc fringilla faucibus, fames a nibh etiam eu habitasse nisi." "Interesting, init?" Interesting, init?  |
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--password <text> | Password dialog |
Returns password  |
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--textbox <file> [width] [height] | Text Box dialog |
kdialog --textbox ~/textbox.txt 360 280 Note: Limited support for HTML. Links and divs don't work.  |
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--textinputbox <text> <init> [width] [height] | Text Input Box dialog |
Returns the text from the input box kdialog --textinputbox "<h1>Messagebox text</h1><p>Cum, tempor vehicula <b>mus</b> eget venenatis suscipit tellus nostra.</p><p><a href='http://scottferguson.com.au'><img src='main_logo.png'></a></p>" "Nice day init" 380 280 Note that the <html></html> tags haven't been used  |
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--combobox <text> item [item] [item] ... | ComboBox dialog |
Returns selected item Note use of ( \n) new line kdialog --combobox "In imperdiet etiam ridiculus convallis\nfelis a feugiat semper, convallis vestibulum mus\nvestibulum mauris, vel, pharetra." "Testicles" "Wallet" "Watch" "Glasses"   |
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--menu <text> [tag item] [tag item] ... | Menu dialog |
'kdialog --menu "Cum morbi massa, cubilia at." "Et masa" Convrturient "vestibulum mauris" Cras "Sit netus ligula enim potenti donec arcu tr donec, eu etiam mollis consequat" Ante "Morbi purus tortor libero augue ipsquam" Pretium vestibulum mauris |
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--menu <text> [tag item] [tag item] ... | Menu dialog |
'kdialog --menu "Cum morbi massa, cubilia at." "Et masa" Convrturient "vestibulum mauris" Cras "Sit netus ligula enim potenti donec arcu tr donec, eu etiam mollis consequat" Ante "Morbi purus tortor libero augue ipsquam" Pretium vestibulum mauris |
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--checklist <text> [tag item status] ... | Check List dialog |
Returns 0 for OK (if the default is used, status on), 1 for Cancel, otherwise it returns the number/s of the item/s (in parenthesis) kdialog --checklist "<h1>Search engines and motors</h1><p><h4>Choose one</h4><hr />" 1 "Rutrum ante" off 2 "Velit" off 3 "Aenean ante" off 4 "Integer eni" On  |
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--radiolist <text> [tag item status] ... | Radio List dialog |
the same as --checklist except that only a single item can be selected |
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--passivepopup <text> <timeout> | Passive Popup |
kdialog --passivepopup "<h4>HTML <i>sort</i> of works</h4><br /><img src='/home/scott/main_logo.png' height='58' width='150'><hr />" 10  |
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--getopenfilename [startDir] [filter] | File dialog to open an existing file |
Returns full path to selected file kdialog --getopenfilename '~/Projects/Business Manual/dokuwiki backup' '*.png'  |
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--getsavefilename [startDir] [filter] | File dialog to save a file |
Returns full path to save file kdialog --getsavefilename '~/Projects/Business Manual/dokuwiki backup' '*.png' e.g. /home/scott/Projects/Business Manual/dokuwiki backup/test.png  |
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--getexistingdirectory [startDir] | File dialog to select an existing directory |
--getopenurl [startDir] [filter] | File dialog to open an existing URL |
--getsaveurl [startDir] [filter] | File dialog to save a URL |
--geticon [group] [context] | Icon chooser dialog |
--progressbar <text> [totalsteps] | Progress bar dialog, returns a D-Bus reference for communication |
--getcolor | Color dialog to select a color |
--title <text> | Dialog title |
--default <text> | Default entry to use for combobox, menu and color |
--multiple | Allows the --getopenurl and --getopenfilename options to return multiple files |
--separate-output | Return list items on separate lines (for checklist option and file open with -- multiple) |
--print-winid | Outputs the winId of each dialog |
--dontagain <file:entry> | Config file and option name for saving the “do-not-show/ask-again” state |
--slider <text> [minvalue] [maxvalue] [step] | Slider dialog box, returns selected value |
--calendar <text> | Calendar dialog box, returns selected date |
--attach <winid> | Makes the dialog transient for an X app specified by winid |
Arguments:
arg Arguments - depending on main option
Send message to remote KDE machine
ssh-copy-id only needs to be run once, but causes no problems run multiple times
echo $PASSWORD | ssh-copy-id '$USER@$USER_IP_ADDRESS -c blowfish' ssh -c blowfish $USER@$USER_IP_ADDRESS 'export DISPLAY=:0 &&\ kdialog --msgbox "Please call Scott\n\n \ Your computer needs:-\n a backup\n an upgrade applied\n" &'
Special characters in menus
kdialog --menu 'Pick one action to display, or two to win a prize!' -- \ "-vcodec mpeg2 stuff -ab 1000k" MPEG\ "avi -vcodec avi stuff -ab 1000k" AVI\ "mp3 -acodec mp3 stuff -ab 128k" MP4\ "*we're* %special& \yeah" 'Special Characters'\ mpeg -vcodec mpeg2 stuff -ab 1000k
Returns the text of the selected item e.g. *we're* %special& \yeah 
Progress bar
dbusRef=`kdialog --progressbar "Press Cancel at Any time" 10` qdbus $dbusRef showCancelButton true until test "true" = `qdbus $dbusRef wasCancelled`; do sleep 1 inc=$((`qdbus $dbusRef Get "" "value"` + 1)) qdbus $dbusRef Set "" "value" $inc; done qdbus $dbusRef close
Remote Server Status
Runs at end of boot
$ cat /etc/rc.local
#!/bin/sh -e # # rc.local # # This script is executed at the end of each multiuser runlevel. # Make sure that the script will "exit 0" on success or any other # value on error. # # In order to enable or disable this script just change the execution # bits. # # By default this script does nothing. #/home/scott/beep.sh ssh scott@work 'export DISPLAY=:0 && kdialog --icon network-server --title "Remote Server"\ --caption "Status" --msgbox "The Development Server is ready" & \ echo "tha development server is red-e" | festival --tts' exit 0
Adding icons to Kdialog
Choose an icon then note it's name
kdialog --geticon app kdialog --geticon [group] [context]
Examples
Display passive popup
kdialog --icon 'edit-undo' --title 'PIM backup' --passivepopup 'backed up $home/GNUCash' 5
–icon is a KDE parameter.
Pick from a list and initiate an action Lightweight VirtualBox Machine launcher for use across a network
Display icons
kdialog --geticon all all
Questions or comments? Email them to me using the link in the footer.
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