From: Bob Gustafson <bobgus@...>
Date: 2003-09-12T01:43:47+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby in Systems Administration

There is always Expect

[root@hoho2 pty]# pwd
/usr/local/src/ruby/ruby-1.8.0/ext/pty

[root@hoho2 pty]# cat expect_sample.rb

#
# sample program of expect.rb
#
#  by A. Ito
#
#  This program reports the latest version of ruby interpreter
#  by connecting to ftp server at netlab.co.jp.
#
require 'pty'
require 'expect'

fnames = []
PTY.spawn("ftp ftp.netlab.co.jp") do
  |r_f,w_f,pid|
  w_f.sync = true

  $expect_verbose = true

  r_f.expect(/^Name.*: /) do
    w_f.print "ftp\n"
  end

  if !ENV['USER'].nil?
    username = ENV['USER']
  elsif !ENV['LOGNAME'].nil?
    username = ENV['LOGNAME']
  else
    username = 'guest'
  end

  r_f.expect('word:') do
    w_f.print username+"@\n"
  end
  r_f.expect("ftp> ") do
    w_f.print "cd pub/lang/ruby\n"
  end
  r_f.expect("ftp> ") do
    w_f.print "dir\n"
  end

  r_f.expect("ftp> ") do |output|
    for x in output[0].split("\n")
      if x =~ /(ruby.*\.tar\.gz)/ then
         fnames.push $1
      end
    end
  end
  begin
    w_f.print "quit\n"
  rescue
  end
end

print "The latest ruby interpreter is "
print fnames.sort.pop
print "\n"
[root@hoho2 pty]#



>I was just wondering if anyone had some really cool uses for Ruby in Systems
>Administration.  Some examples of what I would consider to be really cool is
>stuff like using drb or webrick to poll system status, gather inventory
>information, etc.  Useful ways to interact with multiple systems.  Ways to
>push system changes out to hundreds of servers.  Etc, etc...  I know there's
>some stuff on the wiki ( http://www.rubygarden.org/ruby?RealWorldRuby ) as
>well.
>