rungs is a tool help navigate "fuzzy" procedures on Linux where you might want to:

• skip certain steps if certain vague criteria are met
• repeat certain steps if they failed and trying again makes sense

You very simply specify your procedures within a single .ini file.

Quick Start: from the CLI

• If python3 -V shows v3.11 or later, install using pipx:
  • python3 -m pip install --user pipx # if pipx not installed
  • python3 -m pipx ensurepath # if needed (restart terminal)
  • pipx upgrade rungs || pipx install rungs # to install/upgrade
• Else for python3.10 and lesser versions, install using pip:
  • python3 -m pip install --user --upgrade rungs
• To run:
  • rungs # to run and show all menus
  • rungs {menu-name} # run the specified menu
  • rungs --edit # edit your menus

Mnemonic: step through the rungs of your laddered procedure ;-)

Here is an example menu for manually update an EndeavourOS:

Notes:

• Except for the first personal command, all commands are standard on EndeavourOS.
• All commands are run literally by bash except:
  • exit which means exit the menu.
  • rungs {menu-name} runs rungs recursively using python3
• To run a command:
  • highlight the command by typing the "key" before the ':' or move the cursor with the up/down arrow keys.
  • then press ENTER.
• After the command runs, the next command is highlighted and runs with just ENTER if desired.
• To, repeat and skip commands, just select another command rather than the next.
• IMPORTANT: If the menu does not fit within your terminal, then resize until it does fit.

Edit ~/.config/rungs/rungs.ini to configure your menu. The "eos-update-menu" was configured by adding this section:

[eos-update]
a: my-snaps               # replace snaps of root, home, etc 
b: sudo reflector -l20 -cus,ca --sort rate --save /etc/pacman.d/mirrorlist
c: eos-rankmirrors        # update EndeavourOS mirrors
d: eos-update --yay       # EndeavourOS update script
e: sudo paccache -rk1; sudo paccache -ruk0 # cleanup cache
f: sudo pacman -Rns $(pacman -Qdtq)        # cleanup orphans
g: flatpak update
h: flatpak uninstall --unused; flatpak repair
i: sudo journalctl --vacuum-time=2weeks
j: sudo reboot now
x: exit

So, the config looks nearly the same as the menu, but if you specify a multiline value, then:

• the first line is shown, and
• the subsequent lines are given to bash literally.

In this manner, for very complicated commands, you can provide a summary description of what is to be run.

Additionally:

• keys must be a single character and unique
• if you specify an multicharacter key, only the lead character is used in the menu

usage: rungs [-h] [-e] [-n] [menus ...]

positional arguments:
  menus          zero or more arguments

options:
  -h, --help     show this help message and exit
  -e, --edit     edit config (i.e., runs edit-rungs-config)
  -n, --dry-run  show commands w/o running them

Thus, you can:

• run rungs --edit to edit the configuration file.
• run rungs with no arguments to given a menu of all the "ordinary" menus.
• provide the name specifiers of the menus to run them; each name spec can match:
  • exactly,
  • case independent exactly (if unique and ordinary),
  • or case independent substring match but only at word boundaries (if unique and ordinary); e.g., for the menus, ['edit-rungs-config', 'example', 'eos-update']:
    • these name specs would find a menu: 'edit', 'ex', 'EOS-', 'EOS-UPDATE'
    • these name specs would NOT: 'date', 'e'.

"Special" (vs "Ordinary") menu names begin with character other than [_A-Za-z0-9], and are excluded from being run unless given the whole, exact, memory sensitive name. A suggested naming convention for menus:

• beginning > for a sub-menu that should not be called independently
• beginning ! for a deprecated menu (but not ready to remove it)

On first startup, the .ini file contains a menu for editing that you may customize:

[edit-rungs-config]
a: ${EDITOR=-vi} ~/.config/rungs/rungs.ini
x: exit

[example]
a: command-a
b: prompt-b
   command-b
x: exit

For example, you might change the default from vi to geany if installed and desired. Also, note:

• You may remove the example which shows a multilined value which must be indented lines after the first.
• Do NOT remove the edit-rungs-config menu; it is needed for --edit option AND recovery.
• The edit-rungs-config shows how to pass variables to your commands.
• In case of a corrupt .ini, you will see the error and the edit-rungs-config menu.
• Each time the .ini file is read and valid, ~/.config/rungs/rungs.ini.bak is written; in the case you just made a terrible change, recover using the .ini.bak file manually (w/o running rungs -e).

The examples subdirectory includes more practical examples, including

• A two-level menu for Fedora updates and release upgrades.

These menus many not be current and are not tested; use only after reviewing for correctness and completeness.