i3 FAQ - Individual question feed

status_command and php script

Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:39:39 +0000

Hello. I have this php code to count the unread message from the mailbox 1 $unread, 'name'=>'newmail','color'=>'#FF0000'); 10 11 echo json_encode($return); 12 13 14 ?> the status command in .i3/config file 165 bar { 166 status_command i3status | php /home/trap/bin/mailcheck/mailck.php 167 } The problem is that Error: status_command process exited unexpectedly (exit 0) Why that's happening ?

Answer by Adaephon for

Hello. I have this php code to count the unread message from the mailbox

  1 <?php
  2 
  3     $conn   = imap_open('{imap.gmail.com:993/imap/ssl}INBOX', 'test@gmail.com', 'pass', OP_READONLY);
  4 
  5     $msgnos = imap_search($conn, 'UNSEEN');
  6 
  7     $unread = count($msgnos);
  8 
  9     $return = array("full_text"=>$unread, 'name'=>'newmail','color'=>'#FF0000');
 10 
 11     echo json_encode($return);
 12 
 13 
 14 ?>

the status command in .i3/config file

165 bar {
166         status_command i3status | php /home/trap/bin/mailcheck/mailck.php
167 }

The problem is that Error: status_command process exited unexpectedly (exit 0)

Why that's happening ?

Fri, 14 Nov 2014 14:17:26 +0000

i3bar expects `status_command` to keep running and produce output line by line. The reason it fails in your case is that you are using an output redirection `|` to pass the output of `i3status` to `php /home/trap/bin/mailcheck/mailck.php`, but the php script is not actually waiting for input and just exits (with status 0) after printing its output just once. What you would have to do to get this to work is something like this with your PHP script (I do not know enough PHP to actually write the code for you): 1. establish IMAP connection (line 3 of your original code) 2. read input from STDIN line by line 3. for each line of input 1. run line 5-9 of your original script 2. decode json from line to array 3. append `$return` to the array 4. encode the array to json 5. echo the json Ensure that the `output_format` set in the i3status configuration is `i3bar` else step 3.2 may fail. If the connection to the IMAP server breaks often it may be necessary to pull step 1. into the loop. In that case it may also be necessary to close the connection after pulling the information. In the i3status manpage is also an example on how to extend i3status with a shell script.

Comment by Adaephon for
i3bar expects `status_command` to keep running and produce output line by line.

The reason it fails in your case is that you are using an output redirection `|` to pass the output of `i3status` to `php /home/trap/bin/mailcheck/mailck.php`, but the php script is not actually waiting for input and just exits (with status 0) after printing its output just once.

What you would have to do to get this to work is something like this with your PHP script (I do not know enough PHP to actually write the code for you):

establish IMAP connection (line 3 of your original code)

read input from STDIN line by line

for each line of input

run line 5-9 of your original script

decode json from line to array

append `$return` to the array

encode the array to json

echo the json

Ensure that the `output_format` set in the i3status configuration is `i3bar` else step 3.2 may fail.

If the connection to the IMAP server breaks often it may be necessary to pull step 1. into the loop. In that case it may also be necessary to close the connection after pulling the information.

In the i3status manpage is also an example on how to extend i3status with a shell script.

Mon, 17 Nov 2014 10:02:47 +0000

Instead of appending `$return` to the array in step 3.3 you need to prepend it. I'm not sure how this is done correctly in PHP. Something like `$array = [$return] + $array`, maybe?

Comment by F.N for
i3bar expects `status_command` to keep running and produce output line by line.

The reason it fails in your case is that you are using an output redirection `|` to pass the output of `i3status` to `php /home/trap/bin/mailcheck/mailck.php`, but the php script is not actually waiting for input and just exits (with status 0) after printing its output just once.

What you would have to do to get this to work is something like this with your PHP script (I do not know enough PHP to actually write the code for you):

establish IMAP connection (line 3 of your original code)

read input from STDIN line by line

for each line of input

run line 5-9 of your original script

decode json from line to array

append `$return` to the array

encode the array to json

echo the json

Ensure that the `output_format` set in the i3status configuration is `i3bar` else step 3.2 may fail.

If the connection to the IMAP server breaks often it may be necessary to pull step 1. into the loop. In that case it may also be necessary to close the connection after pulling the information.

In the i3status manpage is also an example on how to extend i3status with a shell script.

Sat, 15 Nov 2014 20:47:45 +0000

i mean the position of mailbox status in relation to the rest of the status message

Comment by Adaephon for
i3bar expects `status_command` to keep running and produce output line by line.

The reason it fails in your case is that you are using an output redirection `|` to pass the output of `i3status` to `php /home/trap/bin/mailcheck/mailck.php`, but the php script is not actually waiting for input and just exits (with status 0) after printing its output just once.

What you would have to do to get this to work is something like this with your PHP script (I do not know enough PHP to actually write the code for you):

establish IMAP connection (line 3 of your original code)

read input from STDIN line by line

for each line of input

run line 5-9 of your original script

decode json from line to array

append `$return` to the array

encode the array to json

echo the json

Ensure that the `output_format` set in the i3status configuration is `i3bar` else step 3.2 may fail.

If the connection to the IMAP server breaks often it may be necessary to pull step 1. into the loop. In that case it may also be necessary to close the connection after pulling the information.

In the i3status manpage is also an example on how to extend i3status with a shell script.

Sat, 15 Nov 2014 14:08:38 +0000

Do you mean the position of the whole status output in the bar or just the position of mailbox status in relation to the rest of the status message?

Comment by F.N for
i3bar expects `status_command` to keep running and produce output line by line.

The reason it fails in your case is that you are using an output redirection `|` to pass the output of `i3status` to `php /home/trap/bin/mailcheck/mailck.php`, but the php script is not actually waiting for input and just exits (with status 0) after printing its output just once.

What you would have to do to get this to work is something like this with your PHP script (I do not know enough PHP to actually write the code for you):

establish IMAP connection (line 3 of your original code)

read input from STDIN line by line

for each line of input

run line 5-9 of your original script

decode json from line to array

append `$return` to the array

encode the array to json

echo the json

Ensure that the `output_format` set in the i3status configuration is `i3bar` else step 3.2 may fail.

If the connection to the IMAP server breaks often it may be necessary to pull step 1. into the loop. In that case it may also be necessary to close the connection after pulling the information.

In the i3status manpage is also an example on how to extend i3status with a shell script.

Fri, 14 Nov 2014 19:30:43 +0000

Ok. Fixed it by putting the full_text value in quotes "". Do you know who to transfer that value in the top of the status bar ? Now it is right and i want it to go left. Any idea ?

Comment by F.N for
i3bar expects `status_command` to keep running and produce output line by line.

The reason it fails in your case is that you are using an output redirection `|` to pass the output of `i3status` to `php /home/trap/bin/mailcheck/mailck.php`, but the php script is not actually waiting for input and just exits (with status 0) after printing its output just once.

What you would have to do to get this to work is something like this with your PHP script (I do not know enough PHP to actually write the code for you):

establish IMAP connection (line 3 of your original code)

read input from STDIN line by line

for each line of input

run line 5-9 of your original script

decode json from line to array

append `$return` to the array

encode the array to json

echo the json

Ensure that the `output_format` set in the i3status configuration is `i3bar` else step 3.2 may fail.

If the connection to the IMAP server breaks often it may be necessary to pull step 1. into the loop. In that case it may also be necessary to close the connection after pulling the information.

In the i3status manpage is also an example on how to extend i3status with a shell script.

Fri, 14 Nov 2014 18:45:20 +0000

I did what you said and now the php script return such data (http://pastebin.com/xxMstfue) but in the status bar everything works properly except from the place where i want to print unread mails. Instead , it writes SPEC VIOLATION (null).