Ypsilon Picker (PHP CLI) 🎨

Authors: ChatGPT by OpenAI & Engin Ypsilon by class:Parent()

Overview

➜ Compatibility: GNOME 45 & 46 (tested on 46)

Ypsilon Picker is a simple terminal-based color picker for Wayland-based GNOME desktops. Click anywhere on the screen and instantly retrieve the RGB and HEX values of the selected color.

Features

• ✅ Wayland-compatible – Works on modern GNOME, unlike X11-based pickers.
• ✅ Minimal & fast – A single PHP script with no dependencies beyond PHP and GNOME’s built-in tools.
• ✅ Optional clipboard support – Automatically copies the HEX value to your clipboard.
• ✅ Easy access – Use it as a CLI tool or create a desktop launcher for quick access.

Alternative

Ypsilon Picker - GNOME Shell Extension

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Installation

Ypsilon Picker is a lightweight PHP script (~50 lines of code) that requires no dependencies beyond GNOME. You can run it directly or set up a shortcut for convenience.

1. Install the script

Clone this repository into your local bin directory (or another preferred location):

mkdir -p ~/bin/ypsilonpicker-php
cd ~/bin/ypsilonpicker-php
git clone https://github.com/eypsilon/ypsilonpicker-php.git .
chmod +x YpsilonPicker.php

Usage

Simply run:

~/bin/ypsilonpicker-php/YpsilonPicker.php

Example output after selection

Click anywhere on the screen to pick a color...
RGB: 23 20 33
HEX: #171421
HEX copied to clipboard!

* If wl-clipboard is installed, the HEX value is automatically copied to your clipboard:

sudo apt install wl-clipboard

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Optional Setup

1. Create a Bash Alias (for CLI users)

To shorten the command, add this alias to your .bashrc or .zshrc:

# sudo nano ~/.bash_aliases
alias ypick="~/bin/ypsilonpicker-php/YpsilonPicker.php"

# Reload your shell
source ~/.bashrc
# or source ~/.zshrc

Now, simply type ypick in the terminal to launch it! 🎨🚀

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2. Create a Desktop Launcher (for GUI users)

If you want to launch Ypsilon Picker from your application menu, create a .desktop file.

• Create the launcher file:

# Do NOT use `sudo` to avoid permission issues
nano ~/.local/share/applications/ypsilonpicker.desktop

• Add the following content:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Ypsilon Picker
Comment=Pick colors from the screen
Exec=gnome-terminal --geometry=54x6+100+100 -- bash -c "php ~/bin/ypsilonpicker-php/YpsilonPicker.php; exec bash"
Icon=preferences-color
Terminal=true
Type=Application
Categories=Utility;

• Save and close the file (Ctrl+o, then Enter, then Ctrl-x).

Now, you can search for "Ypsilon Picker" in your application menu and run it like a boss! 🎨

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Troubleshooting (if the launcher doesn’t work)

Ensure correct ownership (only needed if you used sudo when creating the file):

sudo chown $USER:$USER ~/.local/share/applications/ypsilonpicker.desktop

Mark the file as trusted (to avoid untrusted application warnings):

gio set ~/.local/share/applications/ypsilonpicker.desktop metadata::trusted true

Update the desktop database (if the launcher doesn’t appear):

update-desktop-database ~/.local/share/applications/

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Alternative: Bash Version

If you prefer a Bash script instead of PHP, use this:

#!/bin/bash
# Ypsilon Picker (Bash)
echo "Click anywhere on the screen to pick a color..."
sleep 0.5

output=$(gdbus call --session --dest org.gnome.Shell.Screenshot --object-path /org/gnome/Shell/Screenshot --method org.gnome.Shell.Screenshot.PickColor)
colors=($(echo $output | grep -o "[0-9\.]*"))

LC_NUMERIC=C
for ((i = 0; i < ${#colors[@]}; i++)); do
    colors[$i]=$(echo "${colors[$i]} * 255" | bc | awk '{printf "%.0f\n", $1}')
done

echo "RGB: ${colors[0]} ${colors[1]} ${colors[2]}"
printf "HEX: #%02x%02x%02x\n" "${colors[0]}" "${colors[1]}" "${colors[2]}"

Just save it as ypsilonpicker.sh, make it executable, and run it:

chmod +x ypsilonpicker.sh
./ypsilonpicker.sh