A web user interface for Bash scripts
Masquerade
© Lead Image © Elnur Amikishiyev, 123RF.com
Create a user-friendly front end for your Bash scripts without writing a single line of HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.
While Bash scripts are the glue that holds the GNU/Linux back end together, a web-based front end makes these scripts more user-friendly for end users. In the last decade, web user interfaces (web UIs) have become the front end of choice, even for daily local desktop usage. However, creating a web UI takes some effort, even for very simple interfaces, because a web UI requires using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and more.
Luckily, two free and open source utilities, OliveTin and Script Server, let you create a web UI for your scripts without writing a single line of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (and its hundreds of web UI libraries). In this article, I will show you how to create a simple web UI to drive your scripts with OliveTin, followed by a more feature-rich interface using Script Server.
OliveTin
OliveTin [1] lets you create a web interface that allows your end users to access predefined shell commands. The OliveTin interface consists of various buttons used to invoke configured shell commands. OliveTin uses declarative programming driven by a YAML configuration: You just create a simple declarative configuration, feed it to OliveTin, and out pops a web page that functions as an interface for the shell commands available on your system. Instead of memorizing and typing the actual commands into the command line, OliveTin lets you automate your daily tasks with a user-friendly button. Because of its simplicity, OliveTin lets you open up your system to internal non-command-line users.
[...]
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
-
Wayland 1.24 Released with Fixes and New Features
Wayland continues to move forward, while X11 slowly vanishes into the shadows, and the latest release includes plenty of improvements.
-
Bugs Found in sudo
Two critical flaws allow users to gain access to root privileges.
-
Fedora Continues 32-Bit Support
In a move that should come as a relief to some portions of the Linux community, Fedora will continue supporting 32-bit architecture.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 Drops bcachefs
After a clash over some late fixes and disagreements between bcachefs's lead developer and Linus Torvalds, bachefs is out.
-
ONLYOFFICE v9 Embraces AI
Like nearly all office suites on the market (except LibreOffice), ONLYOFFICE has decided to go the AI route.
-
Two Local Privilege Escalation Flaws Discovered in Linux
Qualys researchers have discovered two local privilege escalation vulnerabilities that allow hackers to gain root privileges on major Linux distributions.
-
New TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro Powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300
The TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen10 offers serious power that is ready for your business, development, or entertainment needs.
-
LibreOffice Tested as Possible Office 365 Alternative
Another major organization has decided to test the possibility of migrating from Microsoft's Office 365 to LibreOffice.
-
Linux Mint 20 Reaches EOL
With Linux Mint 20 at its end of life, the time has arrived to upgrade to Linux Mint 22.
-
TuxCare Announces Support for AlmaLinux 9.2
Thanks to TuxCare, AlmaLinux 9.2 (and soon version 9.6) now enjoys years of ongoing patching and compliance.