Bash Script: Sequential File Release Automation

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Origin:

I wrote this script because I wanted to simulate the weekly release of television episodes from my media server and provide my family with an authentic retro experience without binging on content.

Purpose:

This script automates the process of “releasing” the next sequential file in a specified directory. Hidden files (prefixed with a dot .) are renamed to remove the leading dot, making them visible. It is designed to be executed periodically via a cron job, simulating the timed release of new episodes for a show.

Script Breakdown:

1. Shebang and Description

#!/bin/bash

# This script when executed through a cronjob, will unhide the next sequential file in the given directory.
# This emulates the (frequency) release of a new episode.
  • #!/bin/bash: Specifies the Bash shell for executing the script.
  • The comment describes the script’s purpose and typical use case.

2. Process Files for “Season 1”

file="$(find /local/path/to/media/server/show/season.01/ -type f -iname ".*" | sort | head -n1)" &&
mv "$file" "/local/path/to/media/server/show/season.01/${file##*/.}" ;
  • Step 1: Finds all hidden files (starting with .) in the season.01 directory:
  • find: Searches files in the given directory.
  • -type f: Restricts the search to regular files.
  • -iname ".*": Matches filenames starting with a dot, ignoring case.
  • Step 2: Sorts the hidden files alphabetically.
  • Step 3: Selects the first file in the sorted list (head -n1).
  • Step 4: Renames the selected file by removing the leading dot using:
  • ${file##*/.}: Removes the directory path and leading dot from the filename.
  • Step 5: Moves the file back to the same directory with its new name (unhidden).

3. Process Files for “Season 4”

file="$(find /local/path/to/media/server/show/season.04/ -type f -iname ".*" | sort | head -n1)" &&
mv "$file" "/local/path/to/media/server/show/season.04/${file##*/.}" ;
  • Repeats the same process for the season.04 directory.

4. Source Script Reference

# This is the source script
#file="$(find /path -type f -iname ".*" | sort | head -n1)"
#mv "$file" "/path/${file##*/.}";
  • The commented lines show a generic version of the script for reference or future customization.

Key Concepts:

  1. Hidden Files: Files prefixed with a dot (.) are considered hidden in Unix-like systems.
  2. Cron Jobs: The script is intended to run periodically, e.g., once a week or daily, to emulate timed releases.
  3. File Renaming: The script unhides the next file by removing the leading dot from its name.

Requirements:

  1. Directories and Files: Ensure the specified directories (season.01 and season.04) contain hidden files.
  2. Permissions: Ensure the script has appropriate permissions to access and modify files.
  3. Cron Setup: Add the script to a cron job with a suitable frequency:
   0 9 * * * /path/to/script.sh

This example runs the script daily at 9:00 AM.

Enhancements:

  1. Logging: Add logging to record which files were released and when.
   echo "$(date): Released $(basename "$file")" >> /path/to/logfile.log
  1. Error Handling: Add checks for missing files or errors during file renaming.
  2. Configuration File: Store directory paths in a configuration file for easier maintenance.

Example Output:

  • Before:
  .episode01.mkv
  .episode02.mkv
  • After first execution:
  episode01.mkv
  .episode02.mkv
  • After second execution:
  episode01.mkv
  episode02.mkv

This script is an efficient way to simulate scheduled releases for media files, making it suitable for automation scenarios.

Download release.zip

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