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Asked: 2024-09-25T06:25:27+05:30 In:

How can I ensure that a terminal window closes automatically after executing a bash script in Ubuntu?

I’m trying to figure out how to get my terminal window to close automatically after running a bash script in Ubuntu, and I could really use some help. Here’s the situation: I have a couple of scripts that I regularly run, and they each launch a terminal window. As much as I love the command line, I find it a bit annoying to have to manually close those windows each time after my scripts finish executing.

I’ve tried a few different tweaks, like running the script directly from the terminal, but it still doesn’t solve my issue with those extra windows. I even considered creating a shortcut that would open the terminal, run the script, and then close itself, but I’m not sure how to put that together. There’s just something about having an extra window lingering on my desktop that feels like clutter, you know?

I checked out a few forums, and people seem to have different opinions on this. Some suggest using the `gnome-terminal` command with certain flags or parameters, while others mention editing the `.bashrc` file to add commands that would force the terminal to close afterward. Honestly, it all feels a bit overwhelming, and I don’t want to mess anything up.

I’m also not sure if there’s a better way to handle this, like creating a desktop launcher that automatically closes after execution. If you’ve managed to set this up someone, I’d love to hear how you did it!

Also, if there are any other terminal emulators that handle this situation more gracefully, I’m open to switching. I’ve mostly used the default terminal that comes with Ubuntu, but I’m curious about alternatives if they offer a better user experience. So, what’s your take? Help me out, and let’s figure out how to streamline this process together!

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    2 Answers






    1. How to Auto-Close Terminal After Bash Script


      How to Auto-Close Terminal After Bash Script

      Getting your terminal to close automatically after running a bash script can be pretty handy! Here’s a simple way to do it:

      When you want to run your script and close the terminal after it finishes, you can use the following command in your desktop launcher or terminal command:

      gnome-terminal -- bash -c "your-script.sh; exec bash"

      Replace your-script.sh with the name of your script. What this does is tell the terminal to run your script, and then execute another command. But since you want to close it, you can tweak it like this:

      gnome-terminal -- bash -c "your-script.sh; exit"

      This way, the terminal will run your script and will close automatically as soon as it finishes because of the exit command!

      If you’re interested in creating a desktop launcher, you can make a .desktop file. Open a text editor and paste this:

      [Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Terminal=false
Name=Run My Script
Exec=gnome-terminal -- bash -c "path/to/your-script.sh; exit"

      Just change path/to/your-script.sh to the actual path to your script. Save it with a .desktop extension, and now you can run it directly!

      If you want to explore other terminal emulators, you could try Tilix or Konsole. They might have different features for handling terminal sessions. But honestly, the default gnome-terminal should do the trick fine with the right command.

      So give this a go, and hopefully, it’ll help keep your desktop a bit cleaner!


    2. If you want to have your terminal window close automatically after executing a Bash script, one effective method is to use the `gnome-terminal` command with specific flags. You can run your script in a new terminal instance and utilize the `–` option to execute your script followed by adding `; exit` at the end. For example, you can create a command like this: `gnome-terminal — bash -c “/path/to/your/script.sh; exit”`. This will run your script and, upon completion, the terminal will close automatically. Alternatively, if you’re using terminal emulators other than `gnome-terminal`, like `xterm`, you can achieve similar functionality using corresponding parameters to ensure the terminal session ends after the script execution.

      Another approach is to create a desktop launcher for your script that encapsulates the terminal call within it. You can create a .desktop file that specifies the terminal command along with the script you want to run. Here’s a small example for your `.desktop` file: 

      [Desktop Entry] 
Version=1.0 
Type=Application 
Terminal=true 
Exec=gnome-terminal -e "/path/to/your/script.sh; exit" 
Name=Run My Script

      This setup lets you double-click the launcher to run your script, and once it’s done, the terminal will close. If you’re open to experimenting with other terminal emulators, consider trying `Terminator` or `Tilix`. These emulators provide advanced features and might offer more flexible options for handling terminal sessions after scripts are executed.

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