Crazy expect script behavio(u)r

[Steve Scrimpshire]

I have this expect script that I generated with autoexpect and then modified. I'd like to be able to pass as many files as I want to it and have it still work right. It is supposed to scp each file in the argument list to my desktop server. I really don't want to have to make a new scp connection for each file, but here's the weird behavior. If I write it like this:

#!/usr/bin/expect -f

set num [expr $argc-1]
set timeout -1
spawn scp -P 23 [lindex $argv 0] [lindex $argv 1] omar@192.168.1.101:/home/omar
match_max 100000
expect -exact "omar@192.168.1.101's password: "
send -- "<<my password>>\r"

expect eof

It works as expected and I can pass two files to it like this

 

myscript.exp file1 file2

 

But what if I want to pass any number of files?

#!/usr/bin/expect -f

set num [expr $argc-1]
set timeout -1
spawn scp -P 23 [lrange $argv 0 $num] omar@192.168.1.101:/home/omar
match_max 100000
expect -exact "omar@192.168.1.101's password: "
send -- "<<my password>>\r"

expect eof

 

And try to call it like this:

myscript.exp file1 file2 file3

I get an error

file1 file2 file3: No such file or directory

 

So it's still treating as a list or one long string. Is there a way I can pass an unlimited number of files on the commandline and do this? I hope this makes sense. TIA

Edited March 21, 2005 by Steve Scrimpshire

[Steve Scrimpshire]

P.S. Yes, I have tried using key-based authentication so I don't have to use an expect script, but I can't seem to get it to work:

debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Offering public key: /home/omar/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password,keyboard-interactive
debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method
debug3: authmethod_lookup keyboard-interactive
debug3: remaining preferred: password

Edited March 21, 2005 by Steve Scrimpshire

[Steve Scrimpshire]

I worked around it like this:

#!/bin/bash

E_BADARGS=65

if [ ! -n "$1" ]
then
 echo "Usage: `basename $0` file1 file2 etc."
 exit $E_BADARGS
fi

echo "spawn scp -P 23 $* omar@192.168.1.101:/home/omar
match_max 100000
expect -exact \"omar@192.168.1.101's password: \"
send -- \"<<my password>>\\r\"

expect eof" > scp2.exp

/usr/bin/expect scp2.exp
rm -f scp2.exp

 

but that seems like a horribly innefficient way of doing it.

 

A little different, so I can pass my password as the first parameter and not have it stored in a file anywhere:

#!/bin/bash

E_BADARGS=65

if [ ! -n "$2" ]
then
 echo "Usage: `basename $0` password file1 file2 etc."
 exit $E_BADARGS
fi

blech=$1
shift

echo "spawn scp -P 23 $* omar@192.168.1.101:/home/omar
match_max 100000
expect -exact \"omar@192.168.1.101's password: \"
send -- \"$blech\\r\"

expect eof" > scp2.exp
                                                                             
/usr/bin/expect scp2.exp                                                      
rm -f scp2.exp

 

(If anyone is wondering, yes, I intentionally have ssh running on port 23)

Edited March 22, 2005 by Steve Scrimpshire