Execute a command when an SMS is received?

[Quaigon_Jim]

I'd like to send a notification to my desktop and laptop when I receive a text message. Is this possible?

Or more properly: what happens in the OS when an SMS is received and where would I find more information about this?

Thanks

[dobey]

Currently, no, it is not possible. Someone had started looking at implementing support for KDE Connect, but I'm not sure how far they got.

[guru]

Something which comes into my thinking: the SMS is stored into a table on a sqllite database and if this allows triggers to fire...

[Quaigon_Jim]

@guru Thanks, I managed to hack something together, but had to install inotify-tools:

#!/bin/bash

# location of databse storing text messages (table is "text_events")
DB="/home/phablet/.local/share/history-service/history.sqlite"

# location of scripts to run when a text is received
SCRIPTDIR="/home/phablet/bin/text.d"

function check {

# current time in seconds since epoch
CURRENTTIME=$(date +%s)

# get senderid (phone number) and timestamp from most recent entry in text_events table of $DB at time of modification
SENDERID=$(sqlite3 $DB "SELECT senderid FROM text_events ORDER BY timestamp DESC LIMIT 1;")

# timestamp converted to seconds since epoch
TIMESTAMP=$(date -d$(sqlite3 $DB "SELECT timestamp FROM text_events ORDER BY timestamp DESC LIMIT 1;") +%s)

# calculate difference between when text was received and $CURRENTTIME
DIFFERENCE=$(expr $CURRENTTIME - $TIMESTAMP)

if [ $DIFFERENCE -lt 2 ] && [ $SENDERID != "self" ]
then
# run all scripts in #SCRIPTDIR
        run-parts $SCRIPTDIR
else
        :
fi
}

# monitor $DB for changes and execute the above function if it is modified
while inotifywait -e modify $DB; do check; done

There are probably much better ways of going about this but it works for now

Any pointers appreciated.

EDIT: Terrible code updated a bit

[guru]

Check if sqllite supports triggers. If so you could attach a trigger to any table XYZ and any INSERT into that table will fire your own written piece of software.

[AlainW94]

You could also monitor the system dbus, sms appears in clear text on it.

Sorry I can't copy paste from terminal , maybe a bug.

sudo dbus-monitor --system "type='signal', interface='org.ofono.MessageManager'"

[Quaigon_Jim]

@guru

Looks like triggers are supported but only UPDATE/INSERT/DELETE/SELECT are allowed in the trigger body (trying to use .shell gives a syntax error).

Relevant Stackoverflow thread

Close but no cigar

[guru]

Thanks, this is really cool. I did a test sending Testing dbus to my UBphone:

$ sudo dbus-monitor --system "type='signal', interface='org.ofono.MessageManager'"
[sudo] password for phablet: 
...
   string "Testing dbus"
   array [
      dict entry(
         string "LocalSentTime"
         variant             string "2020-01-12T20:26:33+0100"
      )
      dict entry(
         string "SentTime"
         variant             string "2020-01-12T20:26:33+0100"
      )
      dict entry(
         string "Sender"
         variant             string "+49170xxxxxxxx"
      )
   ]
^C

[Quaigon_Jim]

@AlainW94 Thanks, this looks promising.

[AlainW94]

Happy to help !