.\" -*- nroff -*-
.\" manual page [] for chat 1.8
-.\" $Id: chat.8,v 1.1 1995/04/28 05:27:25 paulus Exp $
+.\" $Id: chat.8,v 1.6 1997/11/27 06:00:06 paulus Exp $
.\" SH section heading
.\" SS subsection heading
.\" LP paragraph
.\" IP indented paragraph
.\" TP hanging label
-.TH CHAT 8 "17 April 1994" "Chat Version 1.8"
+.TH CHAT 8 "27 Sep 1997" "Chat Version 1.17"
.SH NAME
chat \- Automated conversational script with a modem
.SH SYNOPSIS
file. Space or horizontal tab characters should be used to separate
the strings.
.TP
-.B -l \fI<lock file>
-Perform the UUCP style locking using the indicated lock file.
-.IP
-If the file could not be created then the \fIchat\fR program will
-fail. The lock file will be deleted only if the \fIchat\fR program
-fails to perform the script for any reason. If the script is
-successful the lock file will be left on the disk. It is expected that
-the lock file will be deleted when the \fIpppd\fR process no longer
-wishes to use the serial device.
-.IP
-The use of a lock file with
-.I chat
-and
-\fIpppd\fR\'s
-.I lock
-option should not be used at the same time. They are mutually
-exclusive options and will cause one or the other program to fail to
-achieve the required lock if you use both.
-.TP
.B -t \fI<timeout>
Set the timeout for the expected string to be received. If the string
is not received within the time limit then the reply string is not
is no alternate reply string. A failed script will cause the
\fIchat\fR program to terminate with a non-zero error code.
.TP
+.B -r \fI<report file>
+Set the file for output of the report strings. If you use the keyword
+\fIREPORT\fR, the resulting strings are written to this file. If this
+option is not used and you still use \fIREPORT\fR keywords, the
+\fIstderr\fR file is used for the report strings.
+.TP
+.B -e
+Start with the echo option turned on. Echoing may also be turned on
+or off at specific points in the chat script by using the \fIECHO\fR
+keyword. When echoing is enabled, all output from the modem is echoed
+to \fIstderr\fR.
+.TP
.B -v
Request that the \fIchat\fR script be executed in a verbose mode. The
-\fIchat\fR program will then log all text received from the modem and
-the output strings which it sends to the SYSLOG.
+\fIchat\fR program will then log the execution state of the chat
+script as well as all text received from the modem and the output
+strings sent to the modem. The default is to log through the SYSLOG;
+the logging method may be altered with the -S and -s flags.
+.TP
+.B -V
+Request that the \fIchat\fR script be executed in a stderr verbose
+mode. The \fIchat\fR program will then log all text received from the
+modem and the output strings sent to the modem to the stderr device. This
+device is usually the local console at the station running the chat or
+pppd program. This option will not work properly if the stderr is
+redirected to the /dev/null location as is the case should pppd be run
+in the 'detached' mode. In that case, use the '-v' option to record
+the session on the SYSLOG device.
+.TP
+.B -s
+Use stderr. All log messages from '-v' and all error messages will be
+sent to stderr.
+.TP
+.B -S
+Do not use the SYSLOG. By default, error messages are sent to the
+SYSLOG. The use of -S will prevent both log messages from '-v' and
+error messages from being sent to the SYSLOG.
+.TP
+.B -T \fI<phone number>
+Pass in an arbitary string, usually a phone number, that will be
+substituted for the \\T substitution metacharacter in a send string.
+.TP
+.B -U \fI<phone number 2>
+Pass in a second string, usually a phone number, that will be
+substituted for the \\U substitution metacharacter in a send string.
+This is useful when dialing an ISDN terminal adapter that requires two
+numbers.
.TP
.B script
If the script is not specified in a file with the \fI-f\fR option then
string "ogin:". If the first "ogin:" is received then the break sequence is
not generated.
.LP
-Once it received the login prompt the \fIchat\fR program will send the string ppp
-and then expect the prompt "ssword:". When it receives the prompt for the
-password, it will send the password hello2u2.
+Once it received the login prompt the \fIchat\fR program will send the
+string ppp and then expect the prompt "ssword:". When it receives the
+prompt for the password, it will send the password hello2u2.
.LP
A carriage return is normally sent following the reply string. It is not
expected in the "expect" string unless it is specifically requested by using
should include sub-expect sequences should the original string not be
received. For example, consider the following script:
.IP
-ogin:--ogin: ppp ssowrd: hello2u2
+ogin:--ogin: ppp ssword: hello2u2
.LP
This would be a better script than the simple one used earlier. This would look
for the same login: prompt, however, if one was not received, a single
return sequence is sent and then it will look for login: again. Should line
noise obscure the first login prompt then sending the empty line will
usually generate a login prompt again.
+.SH COMMENTS
+Comments can be embedded in the chat script. A comment is a line which
+starts with the \fB#\fR (hash) character in column 1. Such comment
+lines are just ignored by the chat program. If a '#' character is to
+be expected as the first character of the expect sequence, you should
+quote the expect string.
+If you want to wait for a prompt that starts with a # (hash)
+character, you would have to write something like this:
+.IP
+# Now wait for the prompt and send logout string
+.br
+\'# ' logout
+.LP
+
.SH ABORT STRINGS
Many modems will report the status of the call as a string. These
strings may be \fBCONNECTED\fR or \fBNO CARRIER\fR or \fBBUSY\fR. It
the abort string. If it received the string \fINO CARRIER\fR, it will abort
for the same reason. Either string may be received. Either string will
terminate the \fIchat\fR script.
+.SH CLR_ABORT STRINGS
+This sequence allows for clearing previously set \fBABORT\fR strings.
+\fBABORT\fR strings are kept in an array of a pre-determined size (at
+compilation time); \fBCLR_ABORT\fR will reclaim the space for cleared
+entries so that new strings can use that space.
+.SH SAY STRINGS
+The \fBSAY\fR directive allows the script to send strings to the user
+at the terminal via standard error. If \fBchat\fR is being run by
+pppd, and pppd is running as a daemon (detached from its controlling
+terminal), standard error will normally be redirected to the file
+/etc/ppp/connect-errors.
+.LP
+\fBSAY\fR strings must be enclosed in single or double quotes. If
+carriage return and line feed are needed in the string to be output,
+you must explicitely add them to your string.
+.LP
+The SAY strings could be used to give progress messages in sections of
+the script where you want to have 'ECHO OFF' but still let the user
+know what is happening. An example is:
+.IP
+ABORT BUSY
+.br
+ECHO OFF
+.br
+SAY "Dialling your ISP...\\n"
+.br
+\'' ATDT5551212
+.br
+TIMEOUT 120
+.br
+SAY "Waiting up to 2 minutes for connection ... "
+.br
+CONNECT ''
+.br
+SAY "Connected, now logging in ...\n"
+.br
+ogin: account
+.br
+ssword: pass
+.br
+$ \c
+SAY "Logged in OK ...\n"
+\fIetc ...\fR
+.LP
+This sequence will only present the SAY strings to the user and all
+the details of the script will remain hidden. For example, if the
+above script works, the user will see:
+.IP
+Dialling your ISP...
+.br
+Waiting up to 2 minutes for connection ... Connected, now logging in ...
+.br
+Logged in OK ...
+.LP
+
+.SH REPORT STRINGS
+A \fBreport\fR string is similar to the ABORT string. The difference
+is that the strings, and all characters to the next control character
+such as a carriage return, are written to the report file.
+.LP
+The report strings may be used to isolate the transmission rate of the
+modem's connect string and return the value to the chat user. The
+analysis of the report string logic occurs in conjunction with the
+other string processing such as looking for the expect string. The use
+of the same string for a report and abort sequence is probably not
+very useful, however, it is possible.
+.LP
+The report strings to no change the completion code of the program.
+.LP
+These "report" strings may be specified in the script using the \fIREPORT\fR
+sequence. It is written in the script as in the following example:
+.IP
+REPORT CONNECT ABORT BUSY '' ATDT5551212 CONNECT '' ogin: account
+.LP
+This sequence will expect nothing; and then send the string
+ATDT5551212 to dial the telephone. The expected string is
+\fICONNECT\fR. If the string \fICONNECT\fR is received the remainder
+of the script is executed. In addition the program will write to the
+expect-file the string "CONNECT" plus any characters which follow it
+such as the connection rate.
+.SH CLR_REPORT STRINGS
+This sequence allows for clearing previously set \fBREPORT\fR strings.
+\fBREPORT\fR strings are kept in an array of a pre-determined size (at
+compilation time); \fBCLR_REPORT\fR will reclaim the space for cleared
+entries so that new strings can use that space.
+.SH ECHO
+The echo options controls whether the output from the modem is echoed
+to \fIstderr\fR. This option may be set with the \fI-e\fR option, but
+it can also be controlled by the \fIECHO\fR keyword. The "expect-send"
+pair \fIECHO\fR \fION\fR enables echoing, and \fIECHO\fR \fIOFF\fR
+disables it. With this keyword you can select which parts of the
+conversation should be visible. For instance, with the following
+script:
+.IP
+ABORT 'BUSY'
+.br
+ABORT 'NO CARRIER'
+.br
+'' ATZ
+.br
+OK\\r\\n ATD1234567
+.br
+\\r\\n \\c
+.br
+ECHO ON
+.br
+CONNECT \\c
+.br
+ogin: account
+.LP
+all output resulting from modem configuration and dialing is not visible,
+but starting with the \fICONNECT\fR (or \fIBUSY\fR) message, everything
+will be echoed.
+.SH HANGUP
+The HANGUP options control whether a modem hangup should be considered
+as an error or not. This option is useful in scripts for dialling
+systems which will hang up and call your system back. The HANGUP
+options can be \fBON\fR or \fBOFF\fR.
+.br
+When HANGUP is set OFF and the modem hangs up (e.g., after the first
+stage of logging in to a callback system), \fBchat\fR will continue
+running the script (e.g., waiting for the incoming call and second
+stage login prompt). As soon as the incoming call is connected, you
+should use the \fBHANGUP ON\fR directive to reinstall normal hang up
+signal behavior. Here is an (simple) example script:
+.IP
+ABORT 'BUSY'
+.br
+'' ATZ
+.br
+OK\\r\\n ATD1234567
+.br
+\\r\\n \\c
+.br
+CONNECT \\c
+.br
+\'Callback login:' call_back_ID
+.br
+HANGUP OFF
+.br
+ABORT "Bad Login"
+.br
+\'Callback Password:' Call_back_password
+.br
+TIMEOUT 120
+.br
+CONNECT \\c
+.br
+HANGUP ON
+.br
+ABORT "NO CARRIER"
+.br
+ogin:--BREAK--ogin: real_account
+.br
+\fIetc ...\fR
+.LP
.SH TIMEOUT
The initial timeout value is 45 seconds. This may be changed using the \fB-t\fR
parameter.
To change the timeout value for the next expect string, the following
example may be used:
.IP
-ATZ OK ATDT5551212 CONNECT TIMEOUT 10 ogin:--ogin: TIMEOUT 5 assowrd: hello2u2
+ATZ OK ATDT5551212 CONNECT TIMEOUT 10 ogin:--ogin: TIMEOUT 5 assword: hello2u2
.LP
This will change the timeout to 10 seconds when it expects the login:
prompt. The timeout is then changed to 5 seconds when it looks for the
Substitute the sequence with the control character represented by C.
For example, the character DC1 (17) is shown as \^^Q.
.I (some characters are not valid in expect.)
+.SH TERMINATION CODES
+The \fIchat\fR program will terminate with the following completion
+codes.
+.TP
+.B 0
+The normal termination of the program. This indicates that the script
+was executed without error to the normal conclusion.
+.TP
+.B 1
+One or more of the parameters are invalid or an expect string was too
+large for the internal buffers. This indicates that the program as not
+properly executed.
+.TP
+.B 2
+An error occurred during the execution of the program. This may be due
+to a read or write operation failing for some reason or chat receiving
+a signal such as SIGINT.
+.TP
+.B 3
+A timeout event occurred when there was an \fIexpect\fR string without
+having a "-subsend" string. This may mean that you did not program the
+script correctly for the condition or that some unexpected event has
+occurred and the expected string could not be found.
+.TP
+.B 4
+The first string marked as an \fIABORT\fR condition occurred.
+.TP
+.B 5
+The second string marked as an \fIABORT\fR condition occurred.
+.TP
+.B 6
+The third string marked as an \fIABORT\fR condition occurred.
+.TP
+.B 7
+The fourth string marked as an \fIABORT\fR condition occurred.
+.TP
+.B ...
+The other termination codes are also strings marked as an \fIABORT\fR
+condition.
+.LP
+Using the termination code, it is possible to determine which event
+terminated the script. It is possible to decide if the string "BUSY"
+was received from the modem as opposed to "NO DIAL TONE". While the
+first event may be retried, the second will probably have little
+chance of succeeding during a retry.
.SH SEE ALSO
Additional information about \fIchat\fR scripts may be found with UUCP
-documentation. The \fIchat\fR script was taken from the ideas proposed by the
-scripts used by the \fIuucico\fR program.
+documentation. The \fIchat\fR script was taken from the ideas proposed
+by the scripts used by the \fIuucico\fR program.
.LP
uucico(1), uucp(1)
.SH COPYRIGHT
projects / ppp.git / blobdiff