jschoubben
125929dbc4
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01JG73KJNrH5EgFXMKKYSrig
dmenu
The suckless menu, as a module (novox/hq research 026/04: "dmenu is a module of its own (official
repositories), able to hold the same seat on a machine that wants it"; to-be 42 phase 2 step 7).
Owns
| what | where |
|---|---|
dmenu, dmenu_run, dmenu_path, stest |
package dmenu (official repositories) |
Improves: two broken calls work by existing
Research 026/04 measured "plain dmenu in two places" in the operator's configuration, with dmenu
installed on neither workstation, so both failed. Measured again on 2026-10-04, the two are one line on
each workstation, in the notifier's configuration:
~/.config/dunst/dunstrc:dmenu = /usr/bin/dmenu -p dunst:
It is the menu dunst opens to pick a notification's action or link. Every other menu in the
operator's scripts calls rofi -dmenu. Once this module installs the package, /usr/bin/dmenu exists
and that menu opens. The dunst module may later point the line at the launcher seat's command
instead (below). The line is that module's to own, so this module does not touch it.
The seat it would hold: not claimed yet
Research 026/04 gives node-launcher to rofi, with a dmenu-compatible command as part of its
protocol, and lets dmenu hold the same seat on a machine that wants it. The seat is not in the
controller's seat table yet, and a claim on an unknown seat is refused. So this module claims
nothing. Its tool dmenu_menu is shaped like the seat's menu verb (research 026/05): show a list,
answer the chosen line. When the seat is recorded, the claim is one line here, serving menu.
Tools
All answer JSON. (r) reads; (d) acts in the operator's session.
| tool | what |
|---|---|
dmenu_menu (d) |
show up to 1000 choices, with a prompt, as one line or a vertical list, case-insensitive by default. Answers the chosen line and its index; a typed line that is not a choice (typed); cancelled when dismissed; timed_out when not answered in time (default 20 s, at most 25, below the runtime's 30 s call limit) |
dmenu_session (r) |
the session the menu would appear in and how it was found, or why there is none; dmenu's version |
Reaching the session works as the xclip module's README describes: the runtime runs as the
account with no session words, and session.go finds the account's display and cookie from its own
processes. With no session, the tool says so and shows nothing. A keyboard held by another program
(a locked screen, an open menu) is answered as such.
The menu draws in fontconfig's monospace at dmenu's default size, which the fonts module makes
JetBrains Mono Nerd Font.
What changes when it is assigned
On both workstations, the dmenu package is installed, which neither has today. Nothing else.
Leaves as found
The notifier's configuration, and every rofi -dmenu call in the operator's scripts.