This script is a Bash script designed to set up...

September 2, 2025 at 09:13 PM

#!/bin/bash
set -e

# define variables
CONTAINER_NAME=inkcutBox
INKCUTBOX_HOME=$HOME/$CONTAINER_NAME
PIPX_HOME=$INKCUTBOX_HOME/.local/share
PIPX_INKCUT=venvs/inkcut/lib/python*/site-packages/inkcut

echo "Current configuration:"
echo ""
echo "Name of container: $CONTAINER_NAME"
echo "Home directory of container: $INKCUTBOX_HOME"
echo ""
read -p "Are you ready to proceed with these variables as they are? (yes/no): " input_configOK
case $input_configOK in
	[Yy]|[Yy][Ee][Ss])
    	echo ""
        echo "Name of container: $CONTAINER_NAME"
        echo "Home directory of container: $INKCUTBOX_HOME"
	;;
    [Nn]|[Nn][Oo])
        echo ""
        echo "Which would you like to change?"
    	select response in "Container name" "Container home directory" "Both name & home directory"; do
    		case $response in
    	        "Container name" )
    			read -p "Enter desired container name: " CONTAINER_NAME
    			echo ""
    			echo "new container name: $CONTAINER_NAME"
    	        echo "Home directory of container: $INKCUTBOX_HOME"
    		    ;;
    	        "Container home directory" )
    			read -p "Enter desired home directory (full absolute path): " INKCUTBOX_HOME
    			echo ""
        	    echo "Name of container (& directory): $CONTAINER_NAME"
    			echo "new container home path: $INKCUTBOX_HOME"
    		    ;;
    	        "Both name & home directory" )
    			read -p "Enter desired container name: " CONTAINER_NAME
    			read -p "Enter desired home directory (full absolute path): " INKCUTBOX_HOME
    			echo ""
    			echo "new container name: $CONTAINER_NAME"
    			echo "new container home path: $INKCUTBOX_HOME"
    		    ;;
                * )
                echo ""
                echo "Invalid option selected"
                echo "Name of container: $CONTAINER_NAME"
                echo "Home directory of container: $INKCUTBOX_HOME"
                ;;
    	    esac
            read -p "Are you ready to proceed with these variables as shown above? (yes/no): " input_configOK
            case $input_configOK in
        	    [Yy]|[Yy][Ee][Ss])
                break
    	        ;;
                [Nn]|[Nn][Oo])
                # Reset variables before re-starting prompt-loop
                echo ""
                echo "Resetting variables to default values"
                CONTAINER_NAME=inkcutBox
                INKCUTBOX_HOME=$HOME/$CONTAINER_NAME
                # Let's ask again
                echo ""
                echo "Which would you like to change?"
                echo ""
                echo "1) Container name"
                echo "2) Container home directory"
                echo "3) Both name & home directory"
                # Without a break, this returns to the select prompt
                ;;
            esac
	    done
    ;;
esac
	
# create directory to isolate our distrobox $HOME files
mkdir -p $INKCUTBOX_HOME

# Create '$CONTAINER_NAME.ini'; container definition file
cat >$INKCUTBOX_HOME/$CONTAINER_NAME.ini <<EOL
[$CONTAINER_NAME]
image=docker.io/library/alpine:3.22
home=$INKCUTBOX_HOME
pull=true
additional_packages="gcc cups-dev musl-dev linux-headers"
additional_packages="python3-dev pipx py3-qt5"
exported_bins="/usr/bin/pipx"
exported_bins_path="\$HOME/.local/bin"
EOL

# Verify container-assembly & filesystem criteria
echo ""
echo "distrobox-assemble definition file:"
echo "$INKCUTBOX_HOME/$CONTAINER_NAME.ini" 
echo ""
cat $INKCUTBOX_HOME/$CONTAINER_NAME.ini
echo ""

read -p "Are you ready to proceed with the installation? (yes/no): " input_proceed_inst
case $input_proceed_inst in
    [Yy]|[Yy][Ee][Ss])
    ;;
    [Nn]|[Nn][Oo])
    echo ""
    echo "Okay, then let's not"
    exit
    ;;
esac

echo ""
echo "distrobox-assemble create --file $INKCUTBOX_HOME/$CONTAINER_NAME.ini" #unecho
echo "pipx install inkcut --system-site-packages" #unecho
echo ""
echo "inkcut can be launched using the following command:"
echo ""
echo "distrobox-enter --name $CONTAINER_NAME -- sh -c '\$HOME/.local/bin/inkcut'"
echo "Time: $(date -Iminutes) :: $1" >> timestamp.log
echo ""
echo "Take a moment to verify that the above command launches inkcut"
echo ""
echo "The next step is to copy an icon into the local directory, and create a desktop file so that inkcut can be launched like any other graphical app on the system"
echo ""
read -p "Type 'yes' when ready to proceed, or 'no' if things aren't right: " input_proceed_inst
case $input_proceed_inst in
    [Yy]|[Yy][Ee][Ss])
    ;;
    [Nn]|[Nn][Oo])
    echo ""
    echo "exiting script now..."
    echo ""
    exit
    ;;
esac

# copy source icon for system use
distrobox-enter --name inkcutBox -- sh -c \ 
'cp $PIPX_HOME/$PIPX_INKCUT/res/media/inkcut.svg \
/home/$USER/.local/share/icons'

# Create 'inkcut.desktop' (configured as shown below)
cat >$HOME/.local/share/applications/inkcut.desktop <<EOL
[Desktop Entry]
Name=Inkcut
GenericName=Terminal entering Inkcut
Comment=Terminal entering Inkcut
Categories=Distrobox;System;Utility
Exec=/usr/bin/distrobox-enter inkcutBox -- sh -c '\$HOME/.local/bin/inkcut'
Icon=$HOME/.local/share/icons/inkcut.svg
Keywords=distrobox;
NoDisplay=false
Terminal=false
Type=Application
EOL

# Clear/reset all variables
unset INKCUTBOX_HOME
unset PIPX_HOME
unset PIPX_INKCUT

This script is a Bash script designed to set up an isolated environment for running the Inkcut application using Distrobox and pipx, and configure it as a desktop-accessible application with a custom icon. Here's a breakdown of what the code does:

1. Initialization Section:

Variables Definition:
- CONTAINER_NAME is set to inkcutBox, which will be the name of the distrobox container.
- INKCUTBOX_HOME is set to a specific directory located in the user's home directory.
- Other variables such as PIPX_HOME and PIPX_INKCUT are defined to determine the paths for pipx-installed packages and Inkcut resources.
User Configuration Prompt: The script prints the current container name and home directory. The user is prompted to confirm (yes/no) or change the configuration (container name, home directory, or both).

2. Creating Environment:

Container Filesystem Setup:
- A dedicated directory (INKCUTBOX_HOME) is created to store the distrobox and its related files.
Container Configuration File Generation:
- A configuration file (CONTAINER_NAME.ini) is written into this location. It specifies:
  - Base image: alpine:3.22.
  - Additional packages to install: Build tools (gcc, cups-dev, etc.) and Python-related packages (python3-dev, pipx, etc.).
  - Exported binaries and paths.

3. Validation & Installation:

The script generates and displays the container configuration file. The user is prompted to confirm whether to proceed with the installation.
Distrobox Setup:
- Although the actual commands are commented (annotated with "#unecho"), it hints at intended actions:
  - distrobox-assemble using the generated configuration file.
  - pipx install inkcut to install Inkcut inside the container.
Launch Command:
- The script reiterates how to launch Inkcut from the distrobox environment using:
```
distrobox-enter --name $CONTAINER_NAME -- sh -c '$HOME/.local/bin/inkcut'
```

4. UI Integration:

A prompt allows the user to proceed to create a system integration for launching Inkcut.
Icon Copy:
- The Inkcut icon is copied from the pipx package installation path into the local user's icon directory (~/.local/share/icons).
Creating a Desktop File:
- A .desktop file for Inkcut is created in the ~/.local/share/applications directory, which allows launching Inkcut directly through the system's application menu or desktop environment. This file includes:
  - A command to enter the distrobox container and launch Inkcut.
  - An icon path pointing to the previously copied SVG file.

5. Cleaning Up Variables:

The script unsets (unset) all variables used during the script's execution to clean up the environment.

Summary:

The script automates the process of:

Configuring and setting up a Distrobox (inkcutBox) environment for running Inkcut.
Installing Inkcut using pipx within the container.
Integrating Inkcut into the system's graphical user interface by:
- Copying the Inkcut icon.
- Creating a .desktop file to allow launching Inkcut as a normal desktop application.

The process is interactive and provides options to adjust the configuration, confirms operations before proceeding, and ensures users have control over the setup.

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