Random File from Folder and Sub-Folders.

[RobinVossen]

I have been looking for the Following. I need this for Quite a While already and I am sick of searching, so its ASking time =)

How can I get a Random File+Path of a File with a Bash Script.
For example.

I for the following Folder.
/home/robin/randomstuff/
That has two folders.
One folder is Called. AAA
And the Other is called BBB.
The Folder AAA has as the files:
File1, File2 and File3.
and Folder BBB has File4, File5 and File6

So I want to point this script at /home/robin/randomstuff
and I want the Script to pick a Random File from the randomstuff folder and the subfolders.
So from the folders AAA and BBB.


How can I do that in Bash??? Amd CAN I do this in Bash?

Thanks,

Cheers.
Robin

[eggi]

Hey There,

That's a good question

Here's a good explanation that I probaby shouldn't cut-n-paste into this forum:

http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismdep...randomvar.html

Best wishes,

Mike

[eggi]

Sorry - just in case:

dir=/the/dir/you/want # or $1

bound=`echo \`find $dir|wc -l\`` # to get the highest number in your random pool

Cheers,
Mike

[RobinVossen]

Thanks, but that solved half on my Question =)
It gave a a nice boost though. Since I didnt think of the Highest Random you gave me..

Here is my code now:
[script]
#!/bin/bash


#Add Check for One Argument Later..
rnddir=$1;

bound=`echo \`find $rnddir|wc -l\`` # to get the highest number in your random pool
# Getting fancy...
SEED=$(head -1 /dev/urandom | od -N 1 | awk '{ print $2 }')
# Pseudo-random output fetched from /dev/urandom (system pseudo-random "device"),
# then converted to line of printable (octal) numbers by "od",
# finally "awk" retrieves just one number for SEED.
RANDOM=$SEED%$bound+1
echo $RANDOM #Now we get a Random Number.

##Here I should Convert that to a randomfile name + Path...


exit 0
[/script]

It does do the search thingy. But the Random Calculation doesnt work. And I have NO idea how to convert that number to the Number I'll get to a Filename + Path..

I dont get what is wrong in: [script]RANDOM=$SEED%$bound+1[/script] Since that is basicly how I do it in C++ as well. but then its. [script]randomNumber = rand() % bound + 1;[/script]

Any tips/ Advice?

[drl]

Hi.

I used the bash $RANDOM:

#!/bin/bash3 -

# @(#) s1       Demonstrate using $RANDOM to choose a file.
# See http://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/randomvar.html#EX21

echo
echo "(Versions displayed with local utility \"version\")"
version >/dev/null 2>&1 && version =o $(_eat $0 $1) tree find sed
echo

# Create a structure
rm -rf a b c
mkdir a a/b a/c
touch a/b/b{1..4} a/c/c{1..4}
echo
echo " Structure to be considered:"
tree a

find a -type f >t1
RANGE=$( wc -l <t1 )

number=$RANDOM
let "number %= $RANGE"  # Scales $number down within $RANGE.
let "number++"
echo "Random number [1 and $RANGE] ---  $number"

echo
echo " Line $number from list of plain files:"
sed -n "${number}p" t1

exit 0

To produce:

% ./s1

(Versions displayed with local utility "version")
Linux 2.6.11-x1
GNU bash 3.00.16(1)-release
tree v1.5.0 (c) 1996 - 2004 by Steve Baker ...
GNU find version 4.1.20
GNU sed version 4.1.2


 Structure to be considered:
a
|-- b
|   |-- b1
|   |-- b2
|   |-- b3
|   `-- b4
`-- c
    |-- c1
    |-- c2
    |-- c3
    `-- c4

2 directories, 8 files
Random number [1 and 8] ---  5

 Line 5 from list of plain files:
a/c/c1

Best wishes ... cheers, drl

[i92guboj]

I use this to set a random wallpaper on fvwm:

#!/bin/bash
# Reads a given directory and set a random
# wallpaper using the images on that dir.

if [[ -d "${WALLPAPERDIR}" ]]
then
        files=$(ls "${WALLPAPERDIR}")
        file_matrix=($files)
        num_files=${#file_matrix[*]}
        FvwmCommand "ChangeWallpaper "${WALLPAPERDIR}/${file_matrix[$((RANDOM%num_files))]}""
fi

exit 0

If you change the ls by the proper find command, then it can do what you need with little modifications.

[eggi]

Cool Looks like there plenty of options to choose from now

Best wishes,

Mike

[RobinVossen]

Thanks all..
I got the following now:

#!/bin/bash

if [[ -d "$1" ]]
then
	echo "Start Indexing Files"
        files=$(find "$1")
        echo "Done with Indexing Files"
        file_matrix=($files)
        num_files=${#file_matrix[*]}
        echo "$1/${file_matrix[$((RANDOM%num_files))]}"
fi
exit 0

I loved the way drl made up. But I didnt get his code and this works fine BUT...

The are Folders with Longer Names for example:
"All my Family Pictures"
or in Linux Format
All\ my\ family\ pictures

and it only shows All\ for example...

What is the way to fix this?


Thanks.. =)

edit:

Its..

#!/bin/bash

if [[ -d "$1" ]]; then
	echo "Start Indexing Files"
        if [[ "$2" ]]; then
           files=$(find "-path $1 -name *.$2")
        else
           files=$(find "-path $1 -name *")
	fi
        echo "Done with Indexing Files"
        file_matrix=($files)
        num_files=${#file_matrix[*]}
        echo "$1/${file_matrix[$((RANDOM%num_files))]}"
fi

exit 0

Now