startuniq

startuniq starts a program only when an equivalent process is not already running. If it detects a running instance, it shows a small dialog that lets you:

• Kill existing instance(s), or
• Start anyway

It works for both:

• remote hosts (via SSH), and
• localhost (runs directly, no SSH)

Useful for single-instance tools such as Firefox, VS Code, Zim, Phoebus, and similar apps.

Requirements

• Python 3.7+
• Linux/Unix-like system
• pgrep and pkill available on target host
• Tkinter (for the confirmation dialog)

Installation

pip install startuniq

Or from this folder:

pip install .

Usage

python -m startuniq -s HOST [-p PROCESS_PATTERN] PROGRAM [PROGRAM_ARGS ...]

Arguments

• -s, --server: target host (default: localhost)
• -p, --process: process match pattern for pgrep -f
  • if omitted, the full command line (PROGRAM + args) is used
• PROGRAM [PROGRAM_ARGS ...]: command to launch

Examples

Start Firefox on remote host:

python -m startuniq -s myhost firefox

Start VS Code locally (no SSH):

python -m startuniq code /path/to/project

Behavior summary

1. Checks process count using pgrep -c -f.
2. If already running, shows Kill / Start anyway dialog.
3. If not running (or user chooses Start anyway), launches the program.

Notes

• For remote hosts, command checks and launches happen through SSH.
• For localhost, checks and launches run directly on the local machine.