matryer/xbar · error

run in terminal script failed: %s

Error message

run in terminal script failed: %s

What it means

On macOS, runInTerminal executes a helper shell script that opens a terminal running the plugin interactively. The command's stderr is captured, and run errors are intentionally ignored/logged; however if the script's process exit code is non-zero, this error is returned containing the script's stderr output.

Source

Thrown at pkg/plugins/plugin_darwin.go:49

	}{
		Command: commandLine,
		Vars:    fmt.Sprintf("%q", variablesEnvString(vars)),
		Params:  paramsStr,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	appleScript := renderedScript.String()
	log.Println(p.Command, "RunInTerminal", appleScript)
	cmd := exec.Command("osascript", "-s", "h", "-e", appleScript)
	var stderr bytes.Buffer
	cmd.Stderr = &stderr
	err = cmd.Run()
	if err != nil {
		p.Debugf("(ignoring) RunInTerminal failed: %s", err)
	}
	if cmd.ProcessState != nil && cmd.ProcessState.ExitCode() != 0 {
		return errors.Errorf("run in terminal script failed: %s", stderr.String())
	}
	return nil
}

View on GitHub (pinned to d624239058)

Solutions

1. Read the stderr text embedded in the error — it names why the script failed
2. Verify a GUI terminal (Terminal.app) is available and you're in a graphical session
3. Grant Automation permissions so the helper can control/open the terminal app
4. Test the plugin command directly in a terminal to rule out command-specific failures

Example fix

// before
// running RunInTerminal over SSH (no GUI) -> script exits non-zero
// after
// run from a logged-in GUI session, or invoke the plugin command directly

if err := p.RunInTerminal(ctx); err != nil {
    var termErr interface{ Error() string }
    _ = termErr
    log.Printf("RunInTerminal failed: %v", err) // stderr text is inside the message
    // fall back to running the command non-interactively
}

When it happens

Trigger: cmd.Run() completes but ProcessState.ExitCode() != 0 for the darwin terminal helper script — e.g. the terminal app can't be launched, the script can't find/open Terminal.app, or the inner command fails.

Common situations: No GUI session available (SSH, headless mac), terminal application missing or non-standard, security/permissions blocking app launch (Automation/TCC prompts denied).

Related errors

• run in terminal script failed: %s
• run in terminal script failed: %s
• malformed xbar.var format (default not in select options)
• unknown xbar.var type: %s
• no plugin files

AI-assisted analysis of matryer/xbar@d624239058 (2026-09-02). Data as JSON: /api/errors/328de17011327556. Report an issue: GitHub.