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The notify-send command manual says

Usage: notify-send [OPTION...] <SUMMARY> [BODY] - create a notification Help Options: -?, --help Show help options Application Options: -u, --urgency=LEVEL Specifies the urgency level (low, normal, critical). -t, --expire-time=TIME Specifies the timeout in milliseconds at which to expire the notification. -i, --icon=ICON[,ICON...] Specifies an icon filename or stock icon to display. -c, --category=TYPE[,TYPE...] Specifies the notification category. -h, --hint=TYPE:NAME:VALUE Specifies basic extra data to pass. Valid types are int, double, string and byte. -v, --version Version of the package.

Meaning of the last 3 parameters: category, hint and version is unclear to me.

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  • 2
    With no doubt "parameter" version is the easiest to explain. :) Commented Dec 23, 2015 at 22:46
  • @jimmij Would you be so kind to do so then? :-) What package? Commented Dec 23, 2015 at 22:47
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    package libnotify. Just run notify-send -v. -v or --version is very standard option in Linux world to ask program to print its internal version number. Try for example ls --version. Commented Dec 23, 2015 at 22:54
  • Thanks @jimmij, I thought it is another parameter I am supposed to specify when I call the command (like a version of the script that is calling it or something like that). Commented Dec 23, 2015 at 23:01
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    It's worth noting that some desktop environments always ignore the expire time -t even when notify-send correctly passes it to the desktop environment. Commented Sep 10, 2021 at 14:39

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The manpage (in Debian GNU/Linux) suggest to look at http://www.galago-project.org/specs/notification/.

From revision 0.9.

Category

 +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Type | Description | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "device" | A generic device-related notification that | | | doesn't fit into any other category. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "device.added" | A device, such as a USB device, was added to | | | the system. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "device.error" | A device had some kind of error. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "device.removed" | A device, such as a USB device, was removed | | | from the system. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "email" | A generic e-mail-related notification that | | | doesn't fit into any other category. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "email.arrived" | A new e-mail notification. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "email.bounced" | A notification stating that an e-mail has | | | bounced. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | | A generic instant message-related | | "im" | notification that doesn't fit into any other | | | category. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "im.error" | An instant message error notification. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "im.received" | A received instant message notification. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "network" | A generic network notification that doesn't | | | fit into any other category. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | | A network connection notification, such as | | "network.connected" | successful sign-on to a network service. This | | | should not be confused with device.added for | | | new network devices. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | | A network disconnected notification. This | | "network.disconnected" | should not be confused with device.removed | | | for disconnected network devices. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "network.error" | A network-related or connection-related | | | error. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | | A generic presence change notification that | | "presence" | doesn't fit into any other category, such as | | | going away or idle. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "presence.offline" | An offline presence change notification. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "presence.online" | An online presence change notification. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | | A generic file transfer or download | | "transfer" | notification that doesn't fit into any other | | | category. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "transfer.complete" | A file transfer or download complete | | | notification. | |------------------------+-----------------------------------------------| | "transfer.error" | A file transfer or download error. | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Standard Hints

 +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Name | Value Type | Description | |------------------+------------+----------------------------------------| | "urgency" | byte | The urgency level. | |------------------+------------+----------------------------------------| | "category" | string | The type of notification this is. | |------------------+------------+----------------------------------------| | | | This specifies the name of the | | | | desktop filename representing the | | | | calling program. This should be the | | | | same as the prefix used for the | | "desktop-entry"> | string | application's .desktop file. An | | | | example would be "rhythmbox" from | | | | "rhythmbox.desktop". This can be used | | | | by the daemon to retrieve the correct | | | | icon for the application, for logging | | | | purposes, etc. | |------------------+------------+----------------------------------------| | | | This is a raw data image format | | | | which describes the width, height, | | "image_data" | (iiibiiay) | rowstride, has alpha, bits per sample, | | | | channels and image data respectively. | | | | We use this value if the icon field is | | | | left blank. | |------------------+------------+----------------------------------------| | "sound-file" | string | The path to a sound file to play | | | | when the notification pops up. | |------------------+------------+----------------------------------------| | | | Causes the server to suppress | | | | playing any sounds, if it has that | | "suppress-sound" | boolean | ability. This is usually set when the | | | | client itself is going to play its own | | | | sound. | |------------------+------------+----------------------------------------| | | | Specifies the X location on the | | "x" | int | screen that the notification should | | | | point to. The "y" hint must also be | | | | specified. | |------------------+------------+----------------------------------------| | | | Specifies the Y location on the | | "y" | int | screen that the notification should | | | | point to. The "x" hint must also be | | | | specified. | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Debian GNU/Linux Bug #869277

https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/libnotify/-/issues/24

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