Display Google AdSense Earnings on GNOME Taskbar

This project provides a Python script that displays your Google AdSense earnings on the GNOME taskbar in Ubuntu, using the Argos extension. It allows you to monitor your AdSense earnings in real-time without needing to log into your AdSense account.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Prerequisites
• Installation
  • 1. Set Up Google AdSense API Access
  • 2. Install Required Python Libraries
  • 3. Install Argos GNOME Shell Extension
  • 4. Set Up the Script
  • 5. Authenticate with Google AdSense
• Usage
• Customization
• Troubleshooting
• Security Considerations
• Acknowledgments
• License

Features

• Real-Time Earnings Display: Shows your current day's Google AdSense earnings directly on the GNOME taskbar.
• Automatic Updates: The script refreshes at a specified interval, ensuring your earnings are up-to-date.
• Secure Authentication: Uses OAuth 2.0 for secure access to your AdSense data.
• Customizable: Easily adjust the update frequency and display icons to suit your preferences.

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu (or other Linux distribution) with the GNOME desktop environment.
• Python 3 installed.
• A Google AdSense account with API access.
• Argos GNOME Shell extension.
• Basic knowledge of using the terminal.

Installation

1. Set Up Google AdSense API Access

a. Create a Google Cloud Project

1. Go to the Google Cloud Console.
2. Click on Select a project > New Project.
3. Enter a project name (e.g., AdSenseTaskbarDisplay) and click Create.

b. Enable the AdSense Management API

1. In the Cloud Console, navigate to APIs & Services > Library.
2. Search for AdSense Management API.
3. Click on it and then click Enable.

c. Create OAuth 2.0 Credentials

1. Go to APIs & Services > Credentials.
2. Click Create Credentials > OAuth client ID.
3. Select Desktop app as the application type.
4. Enter a name (e.g., AdSenseTaskbarApp) and click Create.
5. Click Download JSON to get your client_secret.json file.
6. Save this file in a secure location (e.g., /home/yourusername/client_secret.json).

Note: If Google asks your for a consent app, create it first.

2. Install Required Python Libraries

Open a terminal and run:

sudo pip3 install --upgrade google-api-python-client google-auth-httplib2 google-auth-oauthlib

3. Install Argos GNOME Shell Extension

a. Install Argos

1. Visit the Argos extension page on the GNOME Extensions website.
2. Toggle the switch to ON to install it.

b. Install GNOME Extensions Support (if needed)

If you cannot install extensions from the browser, install the GNOME Shell integration package:

sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell

Eventually follow official github install instructions to install Argos properly.

4. Set Up the Script

a. Create the Argos Scripts Directory

mkdir -p ~/.config/argos

b. Download or Create the Script

Create a new file named adsense.1h.py in ~/.config/argos/:

nano ~/.config/argos/adsense.1h.py

Paste the following code into the file:

#!/usr/bin/env python3

import os
import datetime
import sys
from googleapiclient.discovery import build
from google_auth_oauthlib.flow import InstalledAppFlow
from google.auth.transport.requests import Request
import pickle

# Paths to your credentials
CLIENT_SECRETS_FILE = '/home/yourusername/client_secret.json'  # Update with your actual path
TOKEN_PICKLE = '/home/yourusername/token.pickle'               # Update with your actual path

# AdSense API scope
SCOPES = ['https://www.googleapis.com/auth/adsense.readonly']

def get_service():
    creds = None
    # Load credentials from the pickle file if it exists
    if os.path.exists(TOKEN_PICKLE):
        with open(TOKEN_PICKLE, 'rb') as token:
            creds = pickle.load(token)
    # If no valid credentials, let the user log in
    if not creds or not creds.valid:
        if creds and creds.expired and creds.refresh_token:
            creds.refresh(Request())
        else:
            flow = InstalledAppFlow.from_client_secrets_file(
                CLIENT_SECRETS_FILE, SCOPES)
            creds = flow.run_local_server(port=0)
        # Save the credentials for next time
        with open(TOKEN_PICKLE, 'wb') as token:
            pickle.dump(creds, token)
    service = build('adsense', 'v2', credentials=creds)
    return service

def main():
    try:
        service = get_service()

        # Get the AdSense account ID
        accounts = service.accounts().list().execute()
        account_id = accounts['accounts'][0]['name']

        # Generate the report for today's earnings
        report = service.accounts().reports().generate(
            account=account_id,
            dateRange='TODAY',
            metrics=['ESTIMATED_EARNINGS']
        ).execute()

        # Extract earnings from the report
        earnings = report['totals']['cells'][0]['value']
        currency_code = report['headers'][0]['currencyCode']
        print(f"💰 AdSense Today: {earnings} {currency_code}")

    except Exception as e:
        # Handle exceptions and display errors in Argos dropdown
        print("AdSense Earnings")
        print("---")
        print("Error fetching earnings:")
        print(str(e))

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

Important:

• Replace /home/yourusername/client_secret.json and /home/yourusername/token.pickle with the actual paths to your client_secret.json and desired location for token.pickle.
• Ensure that the shebang line (#!/usr/bin/env python3) points to the correct Python interpreter.

c. Make the Script Executable

chmod +x ~/.config/argos/adsense.1h.py

5. Authenticate with Google AdSense

The first time you run the script, it needs to authenticate with your Google account.

a. Run the Script Manually

~/.config/argos/adsense.1h.py

• A browser window will open prompting you to log in to your Google account and grant permissions.
• After authentication, the script will save the credentials to token.pickle.

Usage

• The script will display your AdSense earnings on the GNOME taskbar.
• Argos will automatically execute the script every hour, as indicated by .1h in the script name.
• To refresh the display manually, you can click on the Argos icon and select Refresh or reload GNOME Shell.

Customization

• Update Frequency: Change .1h in the script name to .30m for every 30 minutes, .5m for every 5 minutes, etc.
  • For example, to refresh every 30 minutes, rename the script to adsense.30m.py.
• Icon Customization: Edit the print statement in the script to change the icon or text.
  • Replace 💰 with any other icon or text you prefer.

Troubleshooting

• Script Not Displayed on Taskbar:
  • Ensure the script is executable and located in ~/.config/argos/.
  • Verify that Argos extension is installed and enabled.
  • Reload GNOME Shell by pressing Alt + F2, typing r, and pressing Enter.
• Authentication Issues:
  • Delete token.pickle and rerun the script to re-authenticate.

    rm /home/yourusername/token.pickle
    ~/.config/argos/adsense.1h.py

• API Errors:
  • Ensure the AdSense Management API is enabled in your Google Cloud project.
  • Verify that your AdSense account is active and has the necessary permissions.
• Script Displays Filename Instead of Earnings:
  • Ensure the script outputs the earnings on the first line.
  • Check that all file paths in the script are absolute and correct.
  • Make sure all required Python libraries are installed system-wide.
• Python Dependencies Not Found:
  • If the script works when run manually but not with Argos, ensure that the Python libraries are installed in the system's Python environment.

    sudo pip3 install --upgrade google-api-python-client google-auth-httplib2 google-auth-oauthlib

• Shebang Line Issues:
  • Ensure the shebang line at the top of the script points to the correct Python interpreter.
    • Use #!/usr/bin/env python3 for the system's default Python 3.
    • If using a virtual environment, provide the absolute path to the Python interpreter.

Security Considerations

• Protect Your Credentials:
  • Keep client_secret.json and token.pickle in a secure location.
  • Ensure file permissions prevent unauthorized access.
• Do Not Share Sensitive Information:
  • Avoid committing client_secret.json or token.pickle to version control systems like GitHub.
  • Use placeholders or examples when sharing paths and account IDs.

Acknowledgments

• Argos Extension: Argos by Pablo Bortolameotti.
• Google APIs Client Library for Python: google-api-python-client.
• Google AdSense Management API: AdSense Management API v2.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

---

Notes:

• Using pickle for Credentials:
  • The script uses pickle to store OAuth 2.0 credentials.
  • Ensure that the token.pickle file is stored securely.
• Python Interpreter Path:
  • If you're using a specific Python environment (e.g., Anaconda), ensure the shebang line points to the correct interpreter.
    • For example: #!/home/yourusername/miniconda3/bin/python3
  • Adjust the shebang line accordingly if you encounter issues.

Example of Adjusted Shebang Line:

#!/home/yourusername/miniconda3/bin/python3

• Replace /home/yourusername/miniconda3/bin/python3 with the path to your Python interpreter.