TextMe

Description

TextMe is a simple Python/Twilio application that will send an SMS when a GET endpoint is accessed.

Background

When I invoke a long-running command, I usually context switch and come back later so I'm not waiting on it. Natively on OSX, notifying myself upon completion is as easy as:

$ ./long-running-command.sh ; say Command Done

This results in a robo-voice saying "command done." However, if you're like me, sometimes you run long running processes on random servers. That is, servers that can't run say (or if they could, you wouldn't be able to hear). If it's a regular (i.e. non-random) server, you could install a notification script that would alert via email, growl, push, SMS, or whatever else. However, if it's something that needs to be installed, it's less useful.

TextMe started with that principle: no installation. Additionally, it had to be a quick and easy to memorize command. The following:

$ ./long-running-command.sh ; curl textderwiki.herokuapp.com

uses the TextMe app, installed on Heroku, to send me a text message when long-running-command.sh has completed.

Running on Heroku

Pre-requisites

Heroku account
Heroku CLI tool
Twilio free/trial account

Installing

# create the Heroku app
heroku create textderwiki

# set environment variables
heroku config:set NUMBER_FROM=5555551212 NUMBER_TO=5558675309 TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID=<redacted> TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN=<redacted> -a textderwiki

# deploy to Heroku
git push heroku master

# invoke the service to send you an SMS
curl textderwiki.herokuapp.com?t=hello

derwiki / textme