Avoid gnome-terminal close after script execution? - linux

Question

I created a bash script that opens several gnome-terminals, connect to classroom computers via ssh and run a script.
How can I avoid that the gnome-terminal closes after the script is finished? Note that I also want to be able to enter further commands in the terminal.
Here is an example of my code:
gnome-terminal -e "ssh root#<ip> cd /tmp && ls"

Answer 1

As I understand you want gnome-terminal to open, have it execute some commands, and then drop to the prompt so you can enter some more commands. Gnome-terminal is not designed for this use case, but there are workarounds:
Let gnome-terminal run bash and tell bash to run your commands and then start a new bash
$ gnome-terminal -- bash -c "echo foo; echo bar; exec bash"
or if the commands are in a script
$ gnome-terminal -- bash -c "./scripttorun; exec bash"
The first bash will terminate once all the commands are done. But the last command is a new bash which will then just keep running. And since something is still running gnome-terminal will not close.
Let gnome-terminal run bash with a prepared rcfile which runs your commands
Prepare somercfile:
source ~/.bashrc
echo foo
echo bar
Then run:
$ gnome-terminal -- bash --rcfile somercfile
bash will stay open after running somercfile.
i must admit i do not understand completely why --rcfile has this behaviour but it does.
Let gnome-terminal run a script which runs your commands and then drops to bash
Prepare scripttobash:
#!/bin/sh
echo foo
echo bar
exec bash
Set this file as executable.
Then run:
$ gnome-terminal -- ./scripttobash
for completeness
if you just want to be able read the output of the command and need no interactivity
go to preferences (hamburger button -> preferences)
go to profiles (standard or create a new one)
go to command tab
when command exits -> hold the terminal open
i recommend to create a new profile for just for this use case.
use the profile like this:
gnome-terminal --profile=holdopen -- ./scripttorun
Every method has it's quirks. You must choose, but choose wisely.
I like the first solution. it does not need extra files or profiles. and the command says what it does: run commands then run bash again.
All that said, since you used ssh in your example, you might want to take a look at pssh (parallel ssh). here an article: https://www.cyberciti.biz/cloud-computing/how-to-use-pssh-parallel-ssh-program-on-linux-unix/

Answer 2

Finally this one works for me:
gnome-terminal --working-directory=WORK_DIR -x bash -c "COMMAND; bash"

Answer 3

Stack Overflow answer: the terminal closes when the command run inside it has finished, so you need to write a command that doesn't terminate immediately. For example, to leave the terminal window open until you press Enter in it:
gnome-terminal -e "ssh host 'cd /tmp && ls'; read line"
Super User answer: Create a profile in which the preference “Title and Command/When command exits” is set to “Hold the terminal open”. Invoke gnome-terminal with the --window-with-profile or --tab-with-profile option to specify the terminal name.

Answer 4

Run with -ic instead -i to make terminal close bash proccess when you close your terminal gui:
gnome-terminal -e "bash -ic \"echo foo; echo bar; exec bash\""

Answer 5

As of January 2020, the -e option in gnome-terminal still runs properly but throws out the following warning:
For -e:
# Option “-e” is deprecated and might be removed in a later version
of gnome-terminal.
# Use “-- ” to terminate the options and put the command line to
execute after it.
Based on that information above, I confirmed that you can run the following two commands without receiving any warning messages:
$ gnome-terminal -- "./scripttobash"
$ gnome-terminal -- "./genericscripttobash \"echo foo\" \"echo bar\""
I hope this helps anyone else presently having this issue :)

Answer 6

The ideal solution would be to ask for a user input with echo "Press any key".
But if double-click in Nautis or Nemo and select run in a terminal, it doesn't seem to work.
In case of Ubuntu a shell designed for fast start-up and execution with only standard features is used, named dash I believe.
Because of this the shebang is the very first line to start with to enable proper use of bash features.
Normally this would be: #!/bin/bash or similar.
In Ubuntu I learned this should be: #!/usr/bin/env bash.
Many workarounds exist to keep hold of the screen before the interpreter sees a syntax error in a bash command.
The solution in Ubuntu that worked for me:
#!/usr/bin/env bash
your code
echo Press a key...
read -n1

Answer 7

For a solution applicable to any terminal, there is a script that opens a terminal, runs the command specified and gives you back the prompt in that new terminal:
https://stackoverflow.com/a/60732147/1272994

Answer 8

I really like the bash --rcfile method
I just source ~/.bashrc then add the commands I want to the new startrc.sh
now my automated start.sh work environment is complete... for now 😼

Answer 9

If running a bash script just add gedit afile to the end of the script and that will hold gnome-terminal open. "afile" could be a build log which it was in my case.
Did not try just using gedit alone but, that would properly work too.

Answer 10

Use nohup command.
nohup gnome-terminal -e "ssh root# cd /tmp && ls"
Hope this will help you.