user input timeouts?

[Bob Keyes]

On 10 Feb 2004, Kevin D. Clark wrote:

>
> Bob Keyes writes:
>
> > 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?
>
> Does this work with ash?
>
>     if read -p "Initiate self-destruct sequence? " -t 8 KEY ; then
>       :
>     else
>        KEY=n
>     fi

Nope. ash doesn't have -t. Drat!

> Obviously, there are more complicated ways to do this as well.

Hrm...