NAME
runscript - script interpreter for minicom
SYNOPSIS
runscript
scriptname [logfile [homedir]]
DESCRIPTION
runscript
is a simple script interpreter that can be called from within the minicom
communications program to automate tasks like logging in to a unix system
or your favorite bbs.
INVOCATION
The program expects a script name and optionally a filename and the
user's home directory as arguments, and it expects that it's input and
output are connected to the \^"remote end\^", the system you are
connecting to. All messages from runscript meant for the local screen
are directed to the stderr output. All this is automatically taken
care of if you run it from minicom.
The logfile and home directory parameters are only used to tell the log
command the name of the logfile and where to write it. If the homedir is
omitted, runscript uses the directory found in the $HOME environment
variable. If also the logfile name is omitted, the log commands are ignored.
KEYWORDS
Runscript recognizes the following commands:
expect send goto gosub return \^!
exit print set inc dec if
timeout verbose sleep break call log
OVERVIEW OF KEYWORDS
send <string>
<string> is sent to the modem. It is followed by a '\r'.
<string> can be:
- regular text, eg 'send hello'
- text enclosed in quotes, eg 'send \^"hello world\^"'
Within <string> the following sequences are recognized:
\n - newline
\r - carriage return
\a - bell
\b - backspace
\c - don't send the default '\r'.
\- formfeed
\^ - the ^ character
\o - send character o (o is an octal number)
Control characters can be used in the string with the ^ prefix
(^A to ^Z, ^[, ^\, ^], ^^ and ^_). If you need to send the ^ character,
you must prefix it with the \ escape character.
Also $(environment_variable) can be used, for example $(TERM).
Minicom passes three special environment variables: $(LOGIN),
which is the username, $(PASS), which is the password, as
defined in the proper entry of the dialing directory, and
$(TERMLIN) which is the number of actual terminal lines on your
screen (that is, the statusline excluded).
print <string>
Prints <string> to the local screen. Default followed by '\r\n'.
See the description of 'send' above.
label:
Declares a label (with the name 'label') to use with
goto or gosub.
goto <label>
Jump to another place in the program.
gosub <label>
Jumps to another place in the program. When the statement 'return'
is encountered, control returns to the statement after the gosub.
Gosub's can be nested.
R return
Return from a gosub.
R ! <command>
Runs a shell for you in which 'command' is executed. On return,
the variable '$?' is set to the exit status of this command,
so you can subsequently test it using 'if'.
exit [value]
Exit from \^"runscript\^" with an optional exit status. (default 1)
set <variable> <value>
Sets the value of <variable> (which is a single letter a-z) to the
value <value>. If <variable> does not exist, it will be created.
<value> can be a integer value or another variable.
inc <variable>
Increments the value of <variable> by one.
dec <variable>
Decrements the value of <variable> by one.
if <value> <operator> <value> <statement>
Conditional execution of <statement>. <operator> can be <, >, != or =.
Eg, 'if a > 3 goto exitlabel'.
timeout <value>
Sets the global timeout. By default, 'runscript' will exit after
120 seconds. This can be changed with this command. Warning: this
command acts differently within an 'expect' statement, but more
about that later.
verbose <on|off>
By default, this is 'on'. That means that anything that is being
read from the modem by 'runscript', gets echoed to the screen.
This is so that you can see what 'runscript' is doing.
sleep <value>
Suspend execution for <value> seconds.
expect
expect {
pattern [statement]
pattern [statement]
[timeout <value> [statement] ]
....
}
The most important command of all. Expect keeps reading from the
input until it reads a pattern that matches one of the
specified ones. If expect encounters an optional statement
after that pattern, it will execute it. Otherwise the default is
to just break out of the expect. 'pattern' is a string, just as
in 'send' (see above). Normally, expect will timeout in 60
seconds and just exit, but this can be changed with the timeout
command.
break
Break out of an 'expect' statement. This is normally only useful
as argument to 'timeout' within an expect, because the default
action of timeout is to exit immediately.
call <scriptname>
Transfers control to another scriptfile. When that scriptfile
finishes without errors, the original script will continue.
log <text>
Write text to the logfile.
NOTES
If you want to make your script to exit minicom (for example when
you use minicom to dial up your ISP, and then start a ppp or slip
session from a script), try the command "! killall -9 minicom" as
the last script command. The -9 option should prevent minicom from
hanging up the line and resetting the modem before exiting.
Well, I don't think this is enough information to make you an
experienced 'programmer' in 'runscript', but together with the
examples it shouldn't be too hard to write some useful script
files. Things will be easier if you have experience with BASIC.
The minicom source code comes together with two example
scripts, scriptdemo and unixlogin. Especially the
last one is a good base to build on for your own scripts.
SEE ALSO
BUGS
Runscript should be built in to minicom.
AUTHOR
Miquel van Smoorenburg, <miquels@drinkel.ow.org>
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