A simple linux note-taking script, with live markdown to pdf preview

notes.sh

#! /bin/bash

# A simple note-taking setup, with automatic markdown to pdf preview
#
# Inspired by:  https://redd.it/axsbsf/
# CSS from:     https://github.com/edwardtufte/tufte-css
#
# Dependencies: pandoc, inotify-tools, mupdf
#
# You can replace mupdf with any other pdf viewer, but make sure
# you figure out the file reloading for it.


if [ -z $1 ]; then
    echo -e "No file given.\nUsage:\tnotes [markdown file]"
    exit 0
fi

mdfile=$1

# pandoc is kinda dumb and complains if the path is not hardcoded
stylesheet="/home/filip/scripts/tufte-css/tufte.css"

# make reusable pdf name
pdf=$(basename "$mdfile" .md)".pdf"

# check if using an existing file
if [ ! -f "$mdfile" ]; then
    touch "$mdfile"
fi

# check if a pdf already exists, make an empty one if it doesn't
if [ ! -f "$pdf" ]; then
    # piping stderr to null to supress pandoc warnings about "no header/title" etc.
    pandoc "$mdfile" -f markdown -t html5 -o "$pdf" 2> /dev/null
fi

# Start pdf viewer and save PID
mupdf "$pdf" &
mu_pid=$!

# Watch markdown file for changes
# While loop runs in the background, so the editor can be opened
inotifywait -q -m $mdfile -e modify |
    while read file action; do
        pandoc "$mdfile" -f markdown -t html5 --css "$stylesheet" -o "$pdf" 2> /dev/null

        # from `man mupdf': sending a SIGHUP signal to the mupdf process
        # will cause the viewed file to be reloaded automatically
        kill -SIGHUP $mu_pid
    done &

nano "$mdfile"

# After exiting the editor, close viewer and stop watching file for changes
kill %mupdf %inotifywait