Experimental new code using getopt, it seems to work better, but who knows lol.

ratatoskr.sh

@@ -256,16 +256,6 @@ done
 # make sure the configuration and soundpack paths exist:
 mkdir -p "${configPath}/soundpacks"
 
-# Keep track of the backgrounded loop
-
-# Associative array of command line parameters and short description of what they do.
-declare -A command=(
-    [C]="Recreate default configuration file. Acquire new oauth token."
-    [h]="Help, show usage information for ${0##*/}."
-    [M]="Post the currently playing music track, requires playerctl."
-    [p]="Post from the command line, e.g. ${0##*/} -p \"hello world\""
-    [S]="Scrobble the currently playing music track, requires playerctl."
-)
 
 # if the default file doesn't exist, create it
 if [[ ! -e "${configPath}/${configFile}" ]]; then
@@ -275,23 +265,48 @@ else
     source "${configPath}/${configFile}"
 fi
 
+# Associative array of command line parameters and short description of what they do.
+declare -A command=(
+    [C]="Recreate default configuration file. Acquire new oauth token."
+    [h]="Help, show usage information for ${0##*/}."
+    [M]="Post the currently playing music track, requires playerctl."
+    [p::]="Post from the command line, e.g. ${0##*/} -p \"hello world\""
+    [S]="Scrobble the currently playing music track, requires playerctl."
+)
+   
 # Handle command line parameters
-# Convert the keys of the associative array to a format usable by getopts
+# Convert the keys of the associative array to a format usable by getopt
-args="${!command[*]}"
+shortOptions="${!command[*]}"
-args="${args//[[:space:]]/}"
+shortOptions="${shortOptions//[[:space:]]/}"
-while getopts "${args}" i ; do
+                                                                                                                                                                
-    case "$i" in
+options="$(getopt -o "$shortOptions" -- "$@")"
-        C) get_oauth_token;;
+                                                                                                                                                                
-        h) help;;
+while true; do
-        M)
+    case $1 in
+        -C)
+            get_oauth_token
+            shift;;
+        -h)
+            help
+            exit 0;;
+        -M)
             post_music
             exit 0;;
-        p)
+        -p)
-            post_status "${OPTARG:-$(cat)}"
+            if [ -z "$2" ]; then
+                post_status "$(cat)"
+            else
+                shift
+                post_status "$@"
+            fi
             exit 0;;
-        S)
+        -S|--scrobble-music)
             scrobble_music
             exit 0;;
+        *)
+            # unexpected option
+            help
+            exit 1;;
     esac
 done