[SOLVED] Turning off Compiz for Games Script

[anotherdisciple]

I'm looking to write a simple script for my friend. I want to have a shortcut open that script in the terminal and ask him... "What game would you like to play?". The script would then replace Compiz with Metacity.... run that game command... and then, once the game is closed... it will restart compiz and exit the terminal.

Here is what I have written...

#!/bin/bash

read -p "What game would you like to play?" GAME
metacity --replace &
$GAME
compiz --replace
exit

I'm not at a linux computer... so I don't know if it will work. Does this seem right, or should something be changed?


PS- I'm brand new to BASH scripting

[dexter.deepak]

probably you would also like to run compiz in the background :

compiz --replace &

[sdennie]

You may also need to disown the compiz process from the parent shell:

compiz --replace &
disown

[bthoward]

There is another option... Give compiz-icon or compiztray a look. You can either look for them in google or synaptic.

They give you a quick simple icon in your tray that allows you to quickly switch between compiz and metacity.

[anotherdisciple]

I already installed fusion-icon for him... I'm just trying to take a click or two away from the process, but thanks for the suggestion.

I understand putting "&" after compiz --replace... so that it can actually exit after that command is run, but why might I need to disown? Just curious... I've never used that command.

[sdennie]

I understand putting "&" after compiz --replace... so that it can actually exit after that command is run, but why might I need to disown? Just curious... I've never used that command.

The best way to describe it is by example. Start a terminal and type:

gcalctool &
exit

Notice the gnome calculator dies when the shell dies. Now try:

gcalctool &
disown
exit

The gnome calculator stays even after the terminal is closed. You can check the man page for bash to find out more information about disown.

[anotherdisciple]

hmmm that's strange... disown didn't work..

gcalctool &
disown
exit

just exited the terminal and closed the calculator... is there something not typed correctly?

[sdennie]

That's odd. Are you using bash as your shell? If I start a new terminal and type the two sets of statements above, it works as I'd expect.

[anotherdisciple]

Yes, I'm using BASH.... weird!? The second command keeps the terminal open just like before... it's like it ignores the exit command.

It all works as I suspected... asks "What game do you want to play?" switches to metacity, opens the program.... switches back to compiz once the game is closed... if I close the terminal it doesn't change the compiz command since I put & after compiz, but it doesn't close the terminal for me... how can I do this?

[anotherdisciple]

So... does anyone know how to make a BASH script close the terminal after it is finished? If I can figure that out I'll mark this thread as solved.

So far I have had no luck. If you type exit in the terminal... it will close the terminal.... if it's in that bash script... it doesn't seem to do anything.... I tried killall gnome-terminal... that didn't work either.... back to the drawing board...