Successfully launching a shell script from Finder when the path has a space in it

bashfinderterminal

Been trying to work this out this morning and beginning to wonder if this is even possible.

When launching a shell script through Finder, either by using the extension .command or opening .sh files in Terminal, the following command is executed:

Macbook-Pro:~ /Users/mulquin/Desktop/test/Path\ With\ Spaces/run.sh ; exit;
Could not open input file: /Users/mulquin/Desktop/test/Path

Trying it with quotes instead of escape characters yields the same result

Macbook-Pro:~ "/Users/mulquin/Desktop/test/Path With Spaces/run.sh" ; exit;
Could not open input file: /Users/mulquin/Desktop/test/Path

The users this is intended for are not tech savvy so asking them to open Terminal, browse to a directory and ./run.sh is unfortunately not an option.

I had a look at Platypus but the script location will be dynamic as the users will be running it from their desktops or other location they choose.

Has Apple really not noticed this issue or am I doing something wrong?

Best Answer

It turns out I was doing something wrong.

I erroneously believed the error message was caused by Mac OS X executing the script.

The reason this error was appearing was because inside my script I was executing something without escaping the space. Woopsie!

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Opening a new tab in Terminal should by default retain the current directory. If it doesn't, you may've broken the $PROMPT_COMMAND.

Also remember to not replace the previous value if you intend to add custom behaviour by adding ; $PROMPT_COMMAND at the end.

PROMPT_COMMAND="my_custom_function; $PROMPT_COMMAND"

For reference, here's the default from /etc/bashrc (OS X 10.9):

# Tell the terminal about the working directory at each prompt.
if [ "$TERM_PROGRAM" == "Apple_Terminal" ] && [ -z "$INSIDE_EMACS" ]; then
    update_terminal_cwd() {
        # Identify the directory using a "file:" scheme URL,
        # including the host name to disambiguate local vs.
        # remote connections. Percent-escape spaces.
        local SEARCH=' '
        local REPLACE='%20'
        local PWD_URL="file://$HOSTNAME${PWD//$SEARCH/$REPLACE}"
        printf '\e]7;%s\a' "$PWD_URL"
    }
    PROMPT_COMMAND="update_terminal_cwd; $PROMPT_COMMAND"
fi

Bash script not working on Automator but working from terminal

In addition to specifying the full path to ffmpeg two additional problems needed to be solved:

The path to the output files are also needed.
The pass input option of the shell script action has to be set as arguments.

The final script is then this:

#!/bin/bash

for f in "$@"; do

  DIRNAME="$(dirname "$f")"

  filename=$(basename "$f")
  name="${filename%.*}"
  extension="${filename##*.}"

  /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg -i "$f" -filter_complex 'scale=1920:1080, pad=2134:1200:107:60' "$DIRNAME"/OUTPUT_"$name"."$extension"
  /usr/local/bin/ffmpeg -i "$DIRNAME"/OUTPUT_"$name"."$extension" -vf 'scale=1920:1080' "$DIRNAME"/FINAL_"$name"."$extension"


done

Notice how the path was added to ffmpeg and also that $DIRNAME was added to the output files, that was not mentioned by the other question.

Best Answer

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