Create a select menu with smenu
Not Spoiled for Choice
© Lead Image © acik, 123RF.com
The smenu tool reduces the effort of creating shell menus to one line, with numerous options for a wide range of design alternatives.
If you program for the shell frequently, sooner or later you will have to create a select menu, which usually requires several lines of code – unless you use smenu. Smenu reduces the menu's script to a single line. A number of parameters allow you to adapt the design and to simplify your work a little.
The source code for smenu is available on its project page [1], which contains installation instructions, as well as some useful tips. The smenu wiki [2] contains links to two YouTube videos that demonstrate the practical use of the program. The README file provides a structured overview of smenu's options [1].
Basic Function
In smenu's simplest form, a command's output is passed via pipe to the smenu command. For example, <command> | smenu displays a selection on a single line. To create a line-by-line menu, use <command> | smenu -c (Figure 1).
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
US / Canada
UK / Australia
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.
-
Arch Linux Available for Windows Subsystem for Linux
If you've ever wanted to use a rolling release distribution with WSL, now's your chance.
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.