how to send input into shell command?

[redsss]

There is a command that prompts 4 times for user input, and at each prompt, I hit enter.

how can I automate that in a script?

 

[PHV]

Perhaps something like this:
echo "\n\n\n\n" | yourCommand

Hope This Helps, PH.
Want to get great answers to your Tek-Tips questions? Have a look at FAQ219-2884 or FAQ181-2886

 

[Salem]

For more complex tasks, there is a tool called expect.
[tt] expect ? programmed dialogue with interactive programs[/tt]

--

 

[redsss]

Well for a simple script echo doesn't seem to work (this is on Linux, which doesnt include expect)

#!/bin/sh
echo in:
read INPUT
echo out:
read OUTPUT

echo you entered $INPUT and $OUTPUT

echo "2\n4\n" doesnt work.
but printf "2\n4\n" works.
But printf doesnt work for the executable I need it to work with, which is openssl.