Applescript run from Script Edition but not from inside KM

Questions & Suggestions
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1

I've got a script that takes multiple MP4s and strings them into one long movie, which I can then post to social media. While the script works when run from Script Editor, trying to make a KM shortcut out of it does not work, causing an execution error "can't get end (-1728)." So I can't run it from KM at all.

The part that generates the error is

try
tell application "Terminal" to do shell script "/usr/local/bin/ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i /users/pp/posthere/mylist.txt -c copy /users/pp/desktop/output_" & randomString & ".mp4" as string
on error
say "you got that error again"
end try

Does anyone have an idea of why an AS would not work from inside KM?

2

I'm no shell script expert, but I do know you don't need to have them go through Terminal.app when running them in AppleScript. What happens if you change

tell application "Terminal" to do shell script "/usr/local/bin/ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i /users/pp/posthere/mylist.txt -c copy /users/pp/desktop/output_" & randomString & ".mp4" as string

to just

do shell script "/usr/local/bin/ffmpeg -f concat -safe 0 -i /users/pp/posthere/mylist.txt -c copy /users/pp/desktop/output_" & randomString & ".mp4" as string

Obviously I don't know how the rest of your script works, but depending on how it's written, you could also conceivably run the shell script directly in KM via the Execute a Shell Script action.

1 Like
3

Assuming you've defined a Keyboard Maestro variable called randomString, you can use it in an Execute Shell Script action like this:

ss-396

4

A properly written AppleScript runs fine from KM -- I've been doing it for years.

@gglick has pointed out at least one problem with your script -- no need to use Terminal.app.
But most likely you don't need AppleScript at all -- you just need to run a shell script from KM.
For more info, see Execute a Shell Script action.

5

Thanks, I had forgotten this easier way to do it!

6

Thanks again for your help! Got it working smoothly.

1 Like