Jiggle mouse with xdotool to keep LINE alive

Even if Chrome is the only window in an X session, and even if the
window is focused, the LINE extension stops getting new messages unless
the mouse has moved recently. To work around that, use xdotool to move
the mouse every so often.

SETUP.md

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Minimum Requirements
 * Python 3.8
 * Node 10.18.1
+* xdotool
 
 # Initial setup
 ## Puppeteer module

puppet/README.md

@@ -12,5 +12,13 @@ The `profile_dir` specifies which directory to put Chromium user data directorie
 ### Extension directory
 The `extension_dir` specifies which directory contains the files for the LINE extension, which you must download yourself.
 
+### Cycle delay
+`cycle_delay` specifies the period (in milliseconds) at which Puppeteer should view chats to check on their read receipts. Only chats with messages that haven't been fully read need to be checked.
+
+### `xdotool`
+Set `use_xdotool` to `true` to allow the Node process to manipulate the mouse cursor of the X server it runs in. Requires the `xdotool` utility to be installed. Highly recommended, especially when running in a virtual X server. Its default value is `false` so that running in a non-virtual X server won't interfere with a real mouse cursor.
+
+`jiggle_delay` specifies the period (in milliseconds) between "jiggling" the mouse cursor (necessary to keep the LINE extension active). Only relevant when `use_xdotool` is `true`.
+
 ### DevTools
 Set `devtools` to `true` to launch Chromium with DevTools enabled by default.

puppet/example-config.json

@@ -6,5 +6,8 @@
 	"profile_dir": "./profiles",
 	"url": "chrome-extension://<extension-uuid>/index.html",
 	"extension_dir": "./extension_files",
+	"cycle_delay": 5000,
+	"use_xdotool": false,
+	"jiggle_delay": 20000,
 	"devtools": false
 }

puppet/src/main.js

@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ MessagesPuppeteer.profileDir = config.profile_dir || MessagesPuppeteer.profileDi
 MessagesPuppeteer.devtools = config.devtools || false
 MessagesPuppeteer.url = config.url
 MessagesPuppeteer.extensionDir = config.extension_dir || MessagesPuppeteer.extensionDir
+MessagesPuppeteer.cycleDelay = config.cycle_delay || MessagesPuppeteer.cycleDelay
+MessagesPuppeteer.useXdotool = config.use_xdotool || MessagesPuppeteer.useXdotool
+MessagesPuppeteer.jiggleDelay = config.jiggle_delay || MessagesPuppeteer.jiggleDelay
 
 const api = new PuppetAPI(config.listen)
 

puppet/src/puppet.js

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 // along with this program.  If not, see <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 import process from "process"
 import path from "path"
+import { exec, execSync } from "child_process"
 
 import puppeteer from "puppeteer"
 import chrono from "chrono-node"
@@ -25,6 +26,9 @@ import { sleep } from "./util.js"
 export default class MessagesPuppeteer {
 	static profileDir = "./profiles"
 	static executablePath = undefined
+	static cycleDelay = 5000
+	static useXdotool = false
+	static jiggleDelay = 30000
 	static devtools = false
 	static noSandbox = false
 	static viewport = { width: 960, height: 840 }
@@ -43,6 +47,7 @@ export default class MessagesPuppeteer {
 		}
 		this.id = id
 		this.ownID = ownID
+		this.windowID = null
 		this.sendPlaceholders = sendPlaceholders
 		this.profilePath = profilePath
 		this.updatedChats = new Set()
@@ -51,6 +56,7 @@ export default class MessagesPuppeteer {
 		this.mostRecentReceipts = new Map()
 		this.numChatNotifications = new Map()
 		this.cycleTimerID = null
+		this.jiggleTimerID = null
 		this.taskQueue = new TaskQueue(this.id)
 		this.client = client
 	}
@@ -99,7 +105,14 @@ export default class MessagesPuppeteer {
 		this.blankPage = await this.browser.newPage()
 		await this.page.bringToFront()
 
-		this.log("Opening", MessagesPuppeteer.url)
+		if (MessagesPuppeteer.useXdotool) {
+			this.log("Finding window ID")
+			const buffer = execSync("xdotool search 'about:blank'")
+			this.windowID = Number.parseInt(buffer)
+			this.log(`Found window ID ${this.windowID}`)
+		}
+
+		this.log(`Opening ${MessagesPuppeteer.url}`)
 		await this.page.setBypassCSP(true) // Needed to load content scripts
 		await this._preparePage(true)
 
@@ -472,10 +485,9 @@ export default class MessagesPuppeteer {
 	}
 
 	_cycleTimerStart() {
-		// TODO Config for cycle delay
 		this.cycleTimerID = setTimeout(
 			() => this.taskQueue.push(() => this._cycleChatUnsafe()),
-			5000)
+			MessagesPuppeteer.cycleDelay)
 	}
 
 	async _cycleChatUnsafe() {
@@ -515,21 +527,39 @@ export default class MessagesPuppeteer {
 			}
 
 			chatIDToSync = chatListItem.id
+			this.log(`Viewing chat ${chatIDToSync} to check for new read receipts`)
+			await this._syncChat(chatIDToSync)
 			break
 		}
 
 		if (!chatIDToSync) {
-			// TODO Confirm if this actually works...!
+			this.log("Found no chats in need of read receipt updates")
-			this.log(`Found no chats in need of read receipt updates, so force-viewing ${currentChatID} just to keep LINE alive`)
-			await this._switchChat(currentChatID, true)
-		} else {
-			this.log(`Viewing chat ${chatIDToSync} to check for new read receipts`)
-			await this._syncChat(chatIDToSync)
 		}
 
 		this._cycleTimerStart()
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Jiggle the mouse periodically.
+	 * Have to do this to keep the LINE extension "awake". Ridiculous, but necessary...
+	 */
+	_jiggleTimerStart() {
+		this.jiggleTimerID = setTimeout(() => this._jiggleMouse(), MessagesPuppeteer.jiggleDelay)
+	}
+
+	_jiggleMouse() {
+		this.log("Jiggling mouse")
+		exec(`xdotool mousemove --sync --window ${this.windowID} 0 0`, {},
+		(error, stdout, stderr) => {
+			if (error) {
+				this.log(`Error while jiggling mouse: ${error}`)
+			} else {
+				this.log("Jiggled mouse")
+			}
+			this._jiggleTimerStart()
+		})
+	}
+
 	async startObserving() {
 		// TODO Highly consider syncing anything that was missed since stopObserving...
 		const chatID = await this.page.evaluate(() => window.__mautrixController.getCurrentChatID())
@@ -545,6 +575,9 @@ export default class MessagesPuppeteer {
 		if (this.cycleTimerID == null) {
 			this._cycleTimerStart()
 		}
+		if (MessagesPuppeteer.useXdotool && this.jiggleTimerID == null) {
+			this._jiggleTimerStart()
+		}
 	}
 
 	async stopObserving() {
@@ -558,6 +591,10 @@ export default class MessagesPuppeteer {
 			clearTimeout(this.cycleTimerID)
 			this.cycleTimerID = null
 		}
+		if (this.jiggleTimerID != null) {
+			clearTimeout(this.jiggleTimerID)
+			this.jiggleTimerID = null
+		}
 	}
 
 	async getOwnProfile() {