Alternative Commands to Print a Forward Slash?

jakfish · 06-25-2023, 03:06 PM

Due to a bug in the PinePhone/xfce, the following commands do not produce a forward slash. I’m wondering if a veteran here can offer an alternative to these failed summons:

Code:

xdotool type /

Code:

printf '\x2f'

Code:

echo '/'

Thank you for any suggestion.

frankbell · 06-25-2023, 08:37 PM

Try this:

Code:

$ echo "/"
/

It worked for me on XFCE

jakfish · 06-25-2023, 09:11 PM

Many thanks for your post. That command does work when executed in terminal, but doesn't when called from a script, even if I put a second of sleep before it.

I cannot figure out why this is so problematic. All the other special characters running along the top keys can be successfully scripted, just not a forward slash (which is part of the kb's ?/ key).

Thanks again.

frankbell · 06-25-2023, 09:32 PM

Whoops. But thanks for the kind words.

I found a thread at Stack Overflow which might help.

pan64 · 06-26-2023, 12:44 AM

would be nice to see exactly what did you try (how does your script look like?). In general / is not a special char for shell(s), but it may have a special meaning sometimes (which obviously depends on the usage).

lvm_ · 06-26-2023, 02:23 AM

`cat file-with-a-slash`

Although if even xdotool fails, it is probably so deep that nothing will help.

MadeInGermany · 06-26-2023, 02:27 AM

Try different \escape levels:

Code:

xdotool type '\/'

Code:

xdotool type '\\/'

Code:

xdotool type '\\\\/'

teckk · 06-26-2023, 08:48 AM

Quote:

That command does work when executed in terminal, but doesn't when called from a script

Code:

#/usr/bin/bash

echo -e "/"
echo -e "/ and / and / and /"

printf '%s\n' /

jakfish · 06-26-2023, 09:31 AM

Thank you, everybody, for weighing with ideas/suggestions. I've tried every one, including @teckk's, and while they work as a command in terminal, they can not be called in a script. The top row of special characters is notoriously difficult in the PinePhone keyboard. In Phosh, I was able to call them in an edited us keymap,; in xfce, I've had to script them eg:

Code:

#!/bin/sh
sleep .3
xdotool type \`

So that all works on the top row, but when scripting a key such /?, it fails (though I can use said script to produce any other character other than forward slash). When calling the forward slash script in terminal, I see the terminal cursor blink, then produce nothing.

I very much appreciate folks' help.

boughtonp · 06-26-2023, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakfish

Due to a bug in the PinePhone/xfce

Where has this bug been reported?

jakfish · 06-26-2023, 10:33 AM

Probably nowhere, since there may be few other users--if at all--that have my exact setup. And the issue is so arcane.

It is interesting to note that my hacked us keymap from Phosh works in xfce (the xfce desktop is simply installed on top of Phosh) with regard to making the ? key work as a Right_Shift, but the third layer modifier of Win/AltG to make a forward slash (AltG + ?/ = forward slash) does not work in xfce, nor did my working modifiers on the top row (AltG + 9 = underscore). Hence, my scripting for the latter.

boughtonp · 06-26-2023, 11:13 AM

So instead of talking to the developers who are best placed to identify and fix the problem, you've not even bothered to check whether anyone else has encountered the same issue, and prefer to guess at workarounds in a place where it's significantly less likely that people share your setup... :/