# Mini-Commander Applet

Copyright © 1998 by Oliver Maruhn

# Mini-Commander Applet

`Mini-Commander` applet, shown in Figure 1, adds a command line to your Panel. It features command completion, command history, changeable macros and an optional built-in clock. Because of the changeable macros you can use it for many different tasks. You can simply start a program (or a short macro) or view a web page or search for a man/info page etc. `Mini-Commander` can be detached from your Panel using an optional handler on the side, which is especially usefull for people who use vertical panels.

To add this applet to a Panel, right-click on the Panel and choose Panel->Add to panel->Applet->Utility->Mini-Commander.

Figure 1. Mini-Commander Applet

## Usage

To start a program or run a command, simply enter the program or command and press return. Or, to browse for an application or command in your filesystem, click on the small circle in the lower corner.

`Mini-Commander` has command completion (similar to many other user shells). Thus, you often have not to enter the full name but only the first few characters followed by the tab key. `Mini-Commander` will try to complete the program name in the same way most UNIX shells do.

`Mini-Commander` also has command history, which allows you to recall previous commands by pressing the arrow-up or arrow-down key. This works like the command history in most UNIX shells. Note that commands are not stored in the history if it is already present in the history in order to avoid duplication. You may also access the history list by pressing the small down arrow icon in the applet and selecting a command from the history list.

`Mini-Commander` has the ability to use macros. It has some predefined macros. For example if you enter term:`command` then `command` is executed in a terminal window. Or if you enter an URL then your web browser is used to view it. Additionally you can define your own macros or change the predefined ones.

Right-clicking on the applet brings up a menu containing the following items:

- Properties… — opens the `Properties` dialog.

- Help — displays this document.

- About… — shows basic information about `Mini-commander Applet`, including the applet's version and the author's name.

## Customization

You can customize `Mini-Commander` applet by right-clicking on it and choosing Properties…. This will open the Properties dialog(shown in Figure 2), which allows you to change various settings.

Figure 2. Properties dialog: General Tab

The properties in the `General` tab are:

- Show time — If this button is checked, the time will be shown in the lower corner of the applet.

- Show date — If this button is checked, the date will be shown in the lower corner of the applet.

- Show handle — If this button is checked, a handle will be attached to the edge of the applet, allowing you to detach the applet from the Panel. You may re-attach the applet on the Panel by dragging it back into place.

- Show frame — If this button is checked, a thin black frame will be drawn around the applet.

- Enable history based autocompletion — If this button is selected, `Mini-Commander` will automatically complete commands using the history list.

- Applet width — Enter the desired applet width here.

- Applet height — Enter the desired applet height here.

- Command line height — (This feature is disabled.)

- Command line foreground — Select the foreground color, used for the text you enter.

- Command line background — Selecting the background color, used for the background behind the text in the entry.

The `Macros` tab consists of a list of up to 99 macros, each of which is a regular expression (`Regex`) and a macro (`Macro`). Enter the regular expression for `Mini-Commander` to match in the left column, and the corresponding macro which should be executed in the right column. The default setting has many useful macros already defined, which may be helpful in learning to write your own macros.

After you have made all the changes you want, click on OK to apply the changes and close the Properties dialog. To cancel the changes and return to previous values, click the Close button.

## Frequently Asked Questions

Here are listed some frequently asked questions and the answers to them.

Q: Why am I not able to give `Mini-Commander` keyboard focus?

Q: Why am I not able to give `Mini-Commander` keyboard focus?

A: This is a confusing problem which seems to have several reasons and which occurs only under certain conditions.

If you cannot give `Mini-Commander` applet keyboard focus at all then this could be a problem with you window manager. If this is true for you it would helpful if you write me a short mail and tell me what window manager you are using (name and version).

Sometimes it happens that you can give keyboard focus to `Mini-Commander` applet only for the first time. After this it is impossible to focus it again. Currently the reason for this bug is unknown.

## Known Bugs and Limitations

In some instances, it is impossible to give `Mini-Commander` focus after the first time.

## Further Information

For more information on `Mini-Commander` applet, check out its web page at http://www.maruhn.com/mini-commander/.

## Authors

`Mini-Commander` was written by Oliver Maruhn (`<oliver@maruhn.com>`). Please send all comments, suggestions, and bug reports to the GNOME bug tracking database. (Instructions for submitting bug reports can be found on-line. If you are using GNOME 1.1 or later, you can also use `Bug Report Tool` (bug-buddy), available in the Utilities submenu of Main Menu, for submitting bug reports.

This manual was written by Oliver Maruhn (`<oliver@maruhn.com>`). Minor modifications and updates were made by Dan Mueth (`<d-mueth@uchicago.edu>`). Please send all comments and suggestions regarding this manual to the GNOME Documentation Project by sending an email to `<docs@gnome.org>`. You can also submit comments online by using the GNOME Documentation Status Table.

## License

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

A copy of the GNU General Public License is included as an appendix to the GNOME Users Guide. You may also obtain a copy of the GNU General Public License from the Free Software Foundation by visiting their Web site or by writing to

Free Software Foundation, Inc.
59 Temple Place - Suite 330
Boston, MA 02111-1307
USA