This is is a simple bash script which is called with an argument app and file which you want to open. If there is already a window open with that app's window manager class for the specific file you want to open then that window is raised and given focus, otherwise if there is no window already open for that file, then the app is started with that file as the argument. It can be used with multiple independent files, each opened in parallel in their own app window. This script uses wmctrl to determine the classes and file names of already open windows, and also to select an open window.
Note that this tool works only for applications running on Xorg. It does not work for Wayland native applications. Of course, it does work for Xorg applications running on Wayland, via XWayland.
The latest version and documentation is available at http://github.com/bulletmark/raise-or-run.
NOTE: Arch users can just install raise-or-run from the AUR and skip to the next section. Otherwise, do the following.
You require the bash shell and the wmctrl package. Then type:
git clone http://github.com/bulletmark/raise-or-run
cd raise-or-run
sudo make install
I use this for the KMyMoney program which
incorrectly handles multiple files.
If you click on a file which is already open the it tries to open the
file again and creates an error. So I change the Exec line in the
/usr/usr/applications/org.kde.kmymoney.desktop file from:
Exec=kmymoney %u
to:
Exec=/usr/bin/raise-or-run kmymoney %u
Now when I click on a KMyMoney file, it jumps to an open window if one exists for that file, or if not then it starts the app to open that file in a new window. This works also when you have multiple but independent KMyMoney files being opened in multiple parallel windows.
Usage: raise-or-run [-options] <app> [file]
Options
-c <WM class> Use specified class instead of assuming app name as WM class
cd raise-or-run # Source dir, as above
git pull
sudo make install
cd raise-or-run # Source dir, as above
sudo make uninstall
Copyright (C) 2018 Mark Blakeney. This program is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License.
This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or any later version.
This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/ for more details.