user input timeouts?

[gboyce at badbelly.com (Gregory Boyce)]

On Mon, 2004-02-09 at 23:10, Bob Keyes wrote:
> I am working on a 2 floppy linux disttribution, and I want it to be able
> to make some intelligent decisions when it is operating unattended but
> still allow a user at the console to interrupt some startup procedures.
> 
> So, I want basically this: User is given a period of time (8 seconds or
> so) to either hit Y to to continue or N to abort, and if they fail to take
> action within that time, a default action will occur.
> 
> I am doing this on a small system, like I said, and have busybox and ash
> at my disposal. I could probably write a C program to do it but would
> rather not. Anyone have any ideas?

Modern Redhat systems have this functionality these days.  Have you
looked to see how Redhat did it?

Unfortunately I don't have any redhat systems available myself right
now.