bin/runx

#!/bin/sh
#
# pbrisbin 2014 - run X programs from outside of the X session, as the normal
# user or root. Looks up XAUTHORITY dynamically, but assumes the X session is on
# DISPLAY :0.
#
###
xauthority() {
  ps -C xinit -f --no-header | sed 's/.*-auth //; s/ -[^ ].*//'
}

if [ -z "$1" ]; then
  printf "usage: runx <command> [argument, ...]\n" >&2
  exit 64
fi

if [ $UID -eq 0 ]; then
  printf -v cmd "%q " "$@"
  set -- su patrick -c "$cmd"
fi

DISPLAY=:0 XAUTHORITY="$(xauthority)" "$@"