Re: Ontape -s , multiple tapes & cron.

Ken, I like your idea very much but I need some comments to fully understand it. I am posting it with MY comments for the benefit of the family. Please fill the gaps and repost - I want to save this! (IMO it belongs in the iiug archives!) Kenneth Xu wrote: > > Oh, this is a good idea. I'm not sure about the expect-script you > mentioned, but can we do this way: > > make a named pipe 'pipefile' and a shell script 'ontape_agent': > # filename: ontape_agent read x # Read whatever comes into stdin and # assume it is ontape asking the user # to press RETURN to continue ln -s /dev/rmt/0m /dev/ArchTape # Establish link for TAPEDEV device echo # Simulate pressing RETURN read x # Read STDIN again; same assumption ln -s /dev/rmt/1m /dev/ArchTape # Bump TAPEDEV link to next tape drive echo # Again, simulate pressing RETURN > then we do this sleep 100 >pipefile & # Duh.. What does this do for us? # # The pipeline below reads from the # pipe, pipes its blank lines to # ontape, propagating the simulated # RETURN key and sending ontape's # prompts to the pipe file ontape_agent <pipefile | ontape -s | tee pipefile # Yes, it is circular, but so is I/O to # any terminal. > Jacob Salomon wrote in message <34C7D6BC.990E1A4A@garpac.com>... > > >>Here's how I distill your needs: >> >>1. Your TAPEDEV is a link like /dev/ArchTape, which is really a link >> to anything you want it to be. >> >>2. You do not start ontape directly. You run it as an "expect" script. >> Before running ontape, the expect-script sets the link >> /dev/ArchTape to be /dev/rmt0. >> >>3. The script starts ontape and awaits the prompt to "press RETURN to >> continue". When it gets the prompt, it simulates the key-press. >> >>4. When it receives the prompt to mount the next tape on /dev/ArchTape >> and press RETURN when ready (I don't recall the exact wording) the >> script switches the link to /dev/rmt1 and simulates the pressed >> key. -- -- Jake (Never yelled "CROWDED THEATER!" during a fire) +------------------------------------------------------------+ | The expedient performance of a task with excessive concern | | regarding its duration-to-completion engenders a virtual | | certainty of diminished benefit therefrom. | | -- Benjamin Franklin (but he said it in 3 words) | +------------------------------------------------------------+