The press any key issue:

That's a only quick guess: TERM=dumb LINES=999 perl your-script-name in a unix shell would set 2 environment variables for the command in question. Both are related to terminal settings, with COLUMNS and LINES providing the size of the terminal to apps that don't want to talk to the terminal directly using esc sequences (just don't go there!). At least TERM is honored by a real telnet command. Perl sees them in %ENV, maybe Net::Telnet would use them. Might also be worth a try for the server application.

The telnet protocol offers two modes of operation: IIRC, with line mode the client offers just a truly basic line-oriented terminal to the service, with line-editing done by the client locally, w/o involving the server. In char mode the server would be able to talk to the remote tty (in the shell of an xterm, invoke telnet HOST to an insecure host still running a telnetd (the service), login to HOST's shell. If necessary set TERM=xterm and voila full screen vi or emacs.)

For more info, check e.g. wikipedia, the original telnet protocol rfc 854 or the manpages of telnet and telnetd.

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Things to try coping with the press any key prompt (use a telnet client instead of perl for testing these interactively)

• check for a setting in the service you connect to make it assume a huge number of lines. Maybe add LINES=9999999 in the start script or check for switches offered by the service. Maybe the service offers a command for display/lines/terminal settings in its user interface. If it's a real unix shell you connect to, try export LINES=99999 and maybe export TERM=dumb.
• have waitfor accept full lines and explicetely deal with prompts as they occur. Fugly.
• Net::Telnet has these suspicious exported constants (lflow's probably not of interest, but the rest might be good keywords for a search)

  sub TELOPT_NAOL ()            {8}; # Output Line Width
  sub TELOPT_NAOP ()            {9}; # Output Page Size
  sub TELOPT_NAWS ()           {31}; # Negotiate About Window 
  sub TELOPT_LFLOW ()          {33}; # Remote Flow Control
  sub TELOPT_LINEMODE ()       {34}; # Linemode
  [download]

• Super Search
• search.cpan.org
• google.com with some terms like telnet prompt lines terminal

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If you've found your answer, please append it to this thread :)