Very Computer

Dear net-people:

I am looking for a way to use lynx as a shell programing tool to retrieve
data from sites which require a membership.  I have legitimate memberships
at these sites and I am looking for ways to improve my productivity when
searching their databases.  

I have successfuly set up scripts using

lynx -source -post_data < my_data > search_results

to retrieve data from systems which do not require a membership.
I would like to do the same thing for those sites I have lagitmate
memberships with but require you to enter your userid and password.

I have tried to send them directly but find that the server does not
seem to recognize them (some servers are confused by the request).
I suspect that something special is going on when the form
has a INPUT of TYPE=PASSWORD but I not very knolegeable in this area.

If someone could let me know if there is a workable solution, I
would appreciate it.

Thank you

Dave Graham
--
\)/ David W. Graham                            | 2222 W. Vine Dr.
~O~ Graduate Student in Mechanical Engineering | Fort Collins, CO 80521
/(\ Colorado State University                  | (970) 491-9717

Quote:>Dear net-people:

>I am looking for a way to use lynx as a shell programing tool to retrieve
>data from sites which require a membership.  I have legitimate memberships
>at these sites and I am looking for ways to improve my productivity when
>searching their databases.  

>I have successfuly set up scripts using

>lynx -source -post_data < my_data > search_results

>to retrieve data from systems which do not require a membership.
>I would like to do the same thing for those sites I have lagitmate
>memberships with but require you to enter your userid and password.

>I have tried to send them directly but find that the server does not
>seem to recognize them (some servers are confused by the request).
>I suspect that something special is going on when the form
>has a INPUT of TYPE=PASSWORD but I not very knolegeable in this area.

>If someone could let me know if there is a workable solution, I
>would appreciate it.

What you might do is create a local HTML file which you would
edit adding a <BASE> tag, which has the form's URL in it. then you
can edit the form to create a VALUE for the password which essentially
prefills out that field for you.

This will allow you to feed this file to lynx and have the password
field filled out for you.

You could have your script even write the file filling in other fields
for the form.

This doesn't fully automate the process, as you still must click to
send the form with lynx, but it would speed things up.

There should be a method to simulate what the browser does and
communicate directly to the internet, but I don't know enough about
how these things work to be able to tell you.

I hope this has helped.

Chuck Demas
Needham, Mass.

--
  Eat Healthy    |   _ _   | Nothing would be done at all,

  Die Anyway     |    v    | That no one could find fault with it.

:>Dear net-people:
:>
:>I am looking for a way to use lynx as a shell programing tool to retrieve
:>data from sites which require a membership.  I have legitimate memberships
:>at these sites and I am looking for ways to improve my productivity when
:>searching their databases.  
:>
:>I have successfuly set up scripts using
:>
:>lynx -source -post_data < my_data > search_results
:>
:>to retrieve data from systems which do not require a membership.
:>I would like to do the same thing for those sites I have lagitmate
:>memberships with but require you to enter your userid and password.

lynx -auth=fish:fowl -source -post_data < my_data > search_results

Maybe?

--
Ian Stirling.   Designing a linux PDA, see  http://www.mauve.demon.co.uk/
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