How to use the command notify-send (with examples)

Notify-send is a command that uses the current desktop environment’s notification system to create a notification. It is a useful tool for displaying notifications on the desktop, providing users with important or timely information. This command is especially handy for scripting or automating tasks.

Use case 1: Show a notification with the title “Test” and the content “This is a test”

Code:

notify-send "Test" "This is a test"

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to test the functionality of your notification system or simply display a notification with a custom message.

Explanation:

• notify-send: The main command used to trigger a notification.
• "Test": The title of the notification.
• "This is a test": The content or body of the notification.

Example output: A notification will be displayed on the desktop with the title “Test” and the content “This is a test”.

Use case 2: Show a notification with a custom icon

Code:

notify-send -i icon.png "Test" "This is a test"

Motivation: Adding a custom icon to a notification can provide visual cues or branding to make the notification more informative or appealing.

Explanation:

• -i icon.png: Specifies the custom icon to be used for the notification. The icon.png file should be located in the current working directory or with the complete path specified.

Example output: A notification will be displayed on the desktop with the title “Test” and the content “This is a test”, along with the custom icon specified by icon.png.

Use case 3: Show a notification for 5 seconds

Code:

notify-send -t 5000 "Test" "This is a test"

Motivation: Setting a duration for the notification can help to ensure that the notification doesn’t stay on the screen indefinitely, especially if it’s a time-sensitive message.

Explanation:

• -t 5000: Specifies the time in milliseconds for which the notification should remain on the screen. In this example, the notification will be displayed for 5 seconds (5000 milliseconds).

Example output: A notification will be displayed on the desktop with the title “Test” and the content “This is a test”. After 5 seconds, the notification will automatically disappear.

Use case 4: Show a notification with an app’s icon and name

Code:

notify-send "Test" --icon=google-chrome --app-name="Google Chrome"

Motivation: When specific apps or services trigger notifications, it can be beneficial to display the app’s icon and name to easily identify the source of the notification.

Explanation:

• "Test": The title of the notification.
• --icon=google-chrome: Specifies the icon to be used for the notification. In this case, the icon of Google Chrome will be used. Replace google-chrome with the appropriate icon name/identifier.
• --app-name="Google Chrome": Specifies the name of the app associated with the notification. In this example, the app is Google Chrome. Replace "Google Chrome" with the appropriate name.

Example output: A notification will be displayed on the desktop with the title “Test”, the icon of Google Chrome, and the app name “Google Chrome”.

Conclusion:

Notify-send is a powerful command for creating notifications on the desktop. By using various options and arguments, you can customize the appearance and behavior of the notifications to suit your needs. Whether it’s for testing, branding, or time-bound information, notify-send can be an essential tool in your command-line arsenal.