Tilix Directory-Driven Sessions & Auto-Exec

This repo implements a directory-based intent system for Tilix sessions.

When a shell enters specific directories, it automatically executes commands (e.g. SSH into hosts, attach to containers).
This works for:

• normal terminal opens
• splits / tabs
• Tilix sessions loaded from JSON

The implementation is intentionally minimal and timing-correct.

---

Requirements

• Bash
• Tilix (native package, not Flatpak)
• Tilix sessions launched via absolute path, e.g.

  tilix --session ~/.config/tilix/sessions/main.json
  

Files in this repo

tilix/index.sh Defines the dispatcher function. No side effects at load time.

tilix/targets.conf Maps directory names → commands.

Example:

declare -A TILIX_DIR_MAP=(
  ["sshToBunnyheim"]="ssh bunnyheim"
  ["sshToHocus"]="ssh hocus"
  ["daas-db-management"]="docker exec -it postgres-v18-0-bookworm psql -U app_user -d postgres"
)

Required .bashrc changes

These are mandatory for session-based execution to work correctly.

1. At the TOP of ~/.bashrc

Only run for interactive shells

[[ $- != *i* ]] && return

Load Tilix directory dispatcher (definitions only)

source "$HOME/tilix/index.sh"

Nothing above this except comments.

2. At the VERY BOTTOM of ~/.bashrc

execute directory intent after Tilix finalizes CWD
PROMPT_COMMAND="tilix_dir_dispatch${PROMPT_COMMAND:+;$PROMPT_COMMAND}"

This is non-optional.

Tilix sessions set the working directory after the shell starts. PROMPT_COMMAND is the only reliable hook that sees the final $PWD.

index.sh contract (important)

index.sh must not:

• exec at load time
• inspect $PWD and act immediately
• return early based on directory
• assume the directory is final

It must only:

• define tilix_dir_dispatch
• source targets.conf

Minimal correct example:

[[ $- != *i* ]] && return

source "$HOME/tilix/targets.conf"

tilix_dir_dispatch() {
  [[ -n "$TILIX_DIR_EXECED" ]] && return

  base="$(basename "$PWD")"
  cmd="${TILIX_DIR_MAP[$base]}"

  if [[ -n "$cmd" ]]; then
    export TILIX_DIR_EXECED=1
    exec $cmd
  fi
}

Why this is structured this way

• .bashrc runs before Tilix applies session directories
• Session JSON directory values are applied after shell startup
• Any exec logic in .bashrc will run too early and fail silently
• PROMPT_COMMAND runs after directory stabilization
• This design avoids race conditions and works across all Tilix entry paths.

Usage pattern

Directory names are the API.

Example layout:

~/tilix/dir/
├── sshToBunnyheim/
├── sshToHocus/
├── sshToPi/
└── daas-db-management/

Entering any of those directories triggers the mapped command exactly once.

Known constraints

• Tilix cannot load multiple saved sessions into one window
• tilix -a session-add-* cannot load sessions
• Always launch sessions using absolute paths
• exec replaces the shell by design