How to Use the Command 'noti' (with Examples)

The noti command is a versatile tool designed to help users monitor processes on their system and receive notifications upon their completion. This can be particularly useful for keeping track of long-running or critical processes without needing to constantly check a terminal. By leveraging noti, users can focus on other tasks or take breaks without worrying about missing the completion of important commands.

Use case 1: Display a Notification When tar Finishes Compressing Files

Code:

noti tar -cjf example.tar.bz2 example/

Motivation:

Imagine you’re working with large directories that require compression to save space or for easy distribution. Compressing files with the tar command can take a significant amount of time, especially with large file structures or limited system resources. Instead of manually checking the terminal to see if the compression is complete, the noti command automates this by providing a notification as soon as the process finishes. This ensures that you can effectively utilize your time by working on something else or taking breaks, knowing that you’ll be informed once the task is done.

Explanation:

• noti: Invokes the notification tool.
• tar: The command used for archiving files.
• -c: Create a new archive.
• -j: Filter the archive through bzip2 for compression.
• -f: Specifies the name of the archive file to be created, example.tar.bz2.
• example/: The directory to be compressed.

Using noti in conjunction with tar ensures immediate feedback upon task completion, without needing manual intervention.

Example Output:

When the compression process is finished, a desktop notification appears with a message similar to: “Compression complete for example.tar.bz2.”

Use case 2: Display a Notification Even When You Put It After the Command to Watch

Code:

command_to_watch; noti

Motivation:

In scenarios where you have already executed a command but want to add a notification for its completion, noti can be appended to the command sequence. This is particularly advantageous for those moments where you start a process and realize you’ll need to switch focus. By simply appending noti, you ensure notification support without restarting the process.

Explanation:

• command_to_watch: Represents any command you might have running or about to execute.
• ;: This allows execution of noti right after the first command completes.
• noti: Called after the process to send a notification once the initial command terminates.

This flexibility makes noti an ideal companion for any shell command, enabling on-the-fly adjustments to workflow.

Example Output:

As the watched command completes, expect a notification indicating its conclusion, depending on how your desktop environment handles notifications.

Use case 3: Monitor a Process by PID and Trigger a Notification When the PID Disappears

Code:

noti -w process_id

Motivation:

Sometimes we deal with processes identified by PIDs (Process IDs) rather than using command names. This might happen in cases where tracking a process tied to a specific service or application is critical, especially on servers or environments with multiple similar tasks. Monitoring a PID allows you to track a specific instance and be notified when it ends. This is useful for maintaining workflows dependant on the completion of a particular process.

Explanation:

• noti: Executes the notification tool.
• -w: A flag that tells noti to watch a specific PID.
• process_id: The identifier of the process you want noti to monitor.

This functionality of noti is beneficial for system administrators and developers who need precise tracking of process lifecycles, offering timely alerts when the monitored task is no longer running.

Example Output:

Once the process concludes, noti will generate a notification indicating that the PID process_id has terminated.

Conclusion:

The noti command enhances your workflow by providing notifications for process completions. Whether compressing files with tar, appending notifications to existing commands, or monitoring processes by their PIDs, noti offers a simple yet powerful way to stay informed and efficient without constant terminal supervision. This allows for effective multitasking and better time management, improving productivity significantly.