zellij-run

A bash utility script that wraps commands in Zellij panes when available, with graceful fallback to regular bash execution.

Overview

zellij-run allows you to execute bash commands either in a new Zellij pane or with regular bash if Zellij isn't available. It's designed as a drop-in replacement for bash -c that automatically leverages Zellij's pane system when possible.

Features

• Run commands in a new Zellij pane when inside a Zellij session
• Gracefully fall back to regular bash execution when Zellij isn't available
• Compatible with bash -c syntax for easy integration with other tools
• Customizable pane naming
• Works correctly with detached Zellij sessions

Installation

Manual Installation

1. Save the script to a directory in your PATH:

# Create ~/bin if it doesn't exist
mkdir -p ~/bin

# Download the script
curl -o ~/bin/zellij-run https://path-to-raw-script/zellij-run
# or manually create and paste the script content

# Make it executable
chmod +x ~/bin/zellij-run

# Add to PATH if needed (for bash)
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bash_profile
source ~/.bash_profile

Using Homebrew (macOS)

# Install using homebrew
brew tap yourusername/tap ~/homebrew-tap
brew install zellij-run

Usage

Basic Usage

# Run a simple command
zellij-run 'echo "Hello World"'

# Run multiple commands
zellij-run 'ls -la && echo "Done listing files"'

# Using -c flag (bash -c compatibility)
zellij-run -c 'find . -name "*.txt"'

With Custom Pane Name

# Set a custom pane name
zellij-run -n "File Search" 'find . -name "*.txt"'

# Combined with -c flag
zellij-run -n "System Status" -c 'top -b -n 1'

Options

Option	Description
-c 'command'	Specify the command to run (bash -c compatibility)
-n 'name'	Set a custom pane name (default: "Command Output")
-h	Display help information

Integration Examples

k9s Plugin

k9s:
  plugins:
    podlogs:
      shortCut: Shift-L
      description: "Pod logs in Zellij"
      scopes:
        - pods
      command: zellij-run
      args:
        - -n
        - "Pod: $NAME"
        - -c
        - "kubectl logs $NAME -n $NAMESPACE -f"

Behavior

1. Inside Active Zellij Session: Creates a new pane with your command
2. Detached Zellij Sessions: Falls back to regular bash execution
3. No Zellij Available: Executes command with standard bash

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

• Ensure Zellij is properly installed (zellij --version)
• Check if the script is executable (chmod +x path/to/zellij-run)
• Verify the script is in your PATH (which zellij-run)
• For pane creation issues, make sure you're in an active Zellij session (echo $ZELLIJ)

License

This script is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 (GPL-3.0).

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Feel free to contribute improvements or report issues!