ybiC has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

The minimized script below is my first try at using Net::Telnet's waitfor() to automate password updates on CatOS LAN switches that do interactive prompting.   It passes #!/bin/perl -wc but when run without the "-c" the following error results: Can't call method "waitfor" without a package or object reference at line 30 which is the first line containing a "waitfor()".   In case it matters - Perl 5.00503 on Debian 2.2r2.

I started with an example from Network Programming with Perl and a chunk from (code)) Cisco Pass Mass - IOS (deprecated by node 123464).   Super Search turned up a thread where waitfor() is used, but it didn't help me understand how to apply the right syntax in my scriptlet.  

Mind you, I don't even pretend to grok OOP.   Can a OOP-literate monk help me to see the error of my ways?

P.S. I know the code is double-ugly, but my intent is just to figure out the "waitfor()" syntax.   After that, I'll clean it up big-time.
    cheers,
    Don
    striving for Perl Adept
    (it's pronounced "why-bick") 

#!/usr/bin/perl -w

# setpassCat.pl
# February 26-27, 2001

use strict;
use Net::Telnet::Cisco;
use vars qw($before $match);

my $target  = '';
my $oldpass = '';
my $olden   = '';
my $newpass = '';

umask oct 177;

my $cs = Net::Telnet::Cisco->new(
    host=>"$target", errmode=>'return',
    timeout=>'30', input_log=>'ciscoconf.log',)
    or die "  Error connecting to $target\n";
$cs->login('',$oldpass) or die "  Error logging in to $target.  Bad pa
+ssword?\n";
print " ", $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";

&PAUSE();
$cs->enable($olden) or die "  Error getting $target privilaged mode.\n
+";
print " ", $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";

&PAUSE();
my $telnet = $cs -> print('set pass') or die "Error giving \"set pass\
+" command.\n";
($before,$match) = $telnet -> waitfor('Enter old password:') or die "E
+rror getting \"Enter old password\" prompt\n";
print " ", $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";

&PAUSE();
my $output = $cs -> print("$oldpass") or die "Error giving existing ac
+cess password.\n";
($before,$match) = $telnet -> waitfor('Enter new password:') or die "E
+rror getting \"Enter new password\" prompt\n";
print " ", $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";

&PAUSE();
$output = $cs -> print("$newpass") or die "Error giving new access pas
+sword.\n";
($before,$match) = $telnet -> waitfor('Retype new password:') or die "
+Error getting \"Retype new password\" prompt\n";
print " ", $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";

&PAUSE();
$output = $cs -> print("$newpass") or die "Error confirming new access
+ password.\n";
($before,$match) = $telnet -> waitfor('Password changed') or die "Erro
+r getting \"Password changed\" confirmation.\n";
print " ", $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";
$cs->close;


######################################################################
+###
sub PAUSE {
    print "  <enter> to continue...\n";
    my $continue = <STDIN>;
    }
######################################################################
+###

[download]

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Net::Telnet and waitfor()
by chipmunk (Parson) on Feb 28, 2001 at 03:34 UTC 
        my $telnet = $cs -> print('set pass')
      or die "Error giving \"set pass\" command.\n";
    ($before,$match) = $telnet -> waitfor('Enter old password:')
      or die "Error getting \"Enter old password\" prompt\n";

    [download]
    You're expecting $cs->print('set pass') to return some kind of object. Apparently, it doesn't. Perhaps you want to call waitfor() on the object in $cs instead?
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      Thanks, o wise rodent.   8^)   Changing the waitfor() to refer to $cs (as you and archon both suggested) got rid of the object error.

      I've added "$dump_log=>setpassCat.dumplog" to "my $cs =".   With a bit of luck, perusing the dump_log and input_log should help me work out remaining problems.
          cheers,
          Don
          striving for Perl Adept
          (it's pronounced "why-bick")

      Update: It's still quite kludgy, but the following scriptlet *does* work.   8^D   The next order of business is to replace the or die's with if(){} for all the $cs -> sections, so Net::Telnet can deal directly with timeouts and such.   I expect to then find that the waitfor()</t>'s need further tweaking. 

      #!/usr/bin/perl -w

# setpassCat.pl
# February 26-27, 2001

use strict;
use Net::Telnet::Cisco;

my $target  = '';
my $oldpass = '';
my $olden   = '';
my $newpass = '';

umask oct 177;

my $cs = Net::Telnet::Cisco->new (
    host      =>"$target",
    errmode   =>'return',
    timeout   =>'30',
    input_log =>'setpassCat.inlog',
    )                                      or die "  Error connecting 
+to $target: $!";


$cs->login('',$oldpass)                    or die "  Error logging in 
+to $target: $!";
print $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";
$cs->enable($olden)                        or die "  Error getting pri
+vilaged mode at $target: $!";
print $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";

my @cmd_output = $cs->cmd('set pass');
print (@cmd_output)                        or die "Error giving \"set 
+pass\" command: $!";
print $cs -> last_cmd, "\n";

$cs ->waitfor('/Enter old password: /')    or die "Error getting \"Ent
+er old password\" prompt: $!";
print $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";
@cmd_output = $cs -> cmd($oldpass);
print (@cmd_output)                        or die "Error giving \"old 
+password\": $!";

$cs ->waitfor('/Enter new password: /')    or die "Error getting \"Ent
+er new password\" prompt: $!";
print $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";
@cmd_output = $cs -> cmd($newpass);
print (@cmd_output)                        or die "Error giving \"new 
+password\": $!";

$cs ->waitfor('/Retype new password: /')   or die "Error getting \"Ret
+ype new password\" prompt: $!";
print $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";
@cmd_output = $cs -> cmd($newpass);
print (@cmd_output)                        or die "Error giving \"Rety
+pe new password\": $!";

$cs ->waitfor('/Password changed./')       or die "Error getting \"Pas
+sword changed\" statement: $!";
print $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";
@cmd_output = $cs -> cmd('disa');
print (@cmd_output)                        or die "Error leaving privi
+laged mode: $!";
print $cs -> last_prompt, "\n";

$cs -> close;

      [download]
[reply]
[d/l]
Re: Net::Telnet and waitfor()
by archon (Monk) on Feb 28, 2001 at 03:35 UTC
    I think you want $cs->waitfor(), not $telnet->waitfor(). You might also look into using Expect.pm.
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