Bash input without pausing the script?

Question

In Bash the only way to get a (user) input seems to be to use the read method, which pauses the rest of the script. Is there any way to receive a command line input (ending with the enter key) without pausing the script. From what I've seen there may be a way to do it with $1 ..?

It can probably be done but at this point you should stop using a bash script and switch to something more powerful. Personally I'd use C, but perhaps Perl would be a better choice. — Abhi Beckert
– Abhi Beckert, Commented Jan 5, 2015 at 2:35
What are you intending to do with the input once you've received it? — Etan Reisner
– Etan Reisner, Commented Jan 5, 2015 at 2:36
@AbhiBeckert, you can launch a command in background with &, but as @Etan said, whatcha gunna do with it? — Intelligent Shade of Blue
– Intelligent Shade of Blue, Commented Jan 5, 2015 at 2:52

Jasen · Accepted Answer · 2015-01-05 03:03:43Z

5

read -t0 can be used to probe for input if your process is structured as a loop

 #!/bin/bash

 a='\|/-'
 spin()
 {
  sleep 0.3
  a="${a:1}${a:0:1}"
  echo -n $'\e'7$'\r'"${a:1:1}"$'\e'8
 }

 echo 'try these /|\- , dbpq , |)>)|(<( , =>-<'

 echo -n "  enter a pattern to spin:"
 while true
 do
   spin
   if read -t0 
   then
     read a
     echo -n "  using $a enter a new pattern:" 
   fi
 done

else you could run one command in the background while promptiong for input in the foreground. etc...

answered Jan 5, 2015 at 3:03

Jasen

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1 Comment

Intelligent Shade of Blue Over a year ago

+1 for cool spinning patterns :). Check this one too: |)>=<(|(<=>)

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