1esniper(1) General Commands Manual esniper(1)
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6 esniper - a lightweight ebay sniping tool
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9 esniper [-bdhHimnPrUv] [-c conf_file] [-l logdir] [-p proxy] [-q quan‐
10 tity] [-s secs|now] [-u user] (auction_file | [ auction price ... ])
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13 esniper is a lightweight ebay sniping tool. It doesn't have a lot of
14 features, and that is by design.
15 Auctions are specified on the command line, using the auction number
17 and your bid price. Multiple auctions can be bid on by specifying more
18 auctions and bid prices. esniper stops when the desired quantity has
19 been won (default is 1).
20 You can use an auction file instead of specifying auctions on the com‐
22 mand line. See the AUCTION FILE section below for more details.
23
25 -b Enable batch mode. The corresponding configuration option is
26 batch, default value is false. In batch mode, esniper never
27 prompts for password and/or username. If the password or user‐
28 name cannot be determined from options or read from configura‐
29 tion or auction files, esniper will fail.
30 -c Specifies a configuration file to read. All options can be set
32 either by command-line flags or in the configuration file. See
33 the CONFIGURATION FILE section for details. The default config‐
34 uration file is $HOME/.esniper (or $USERPROFILE/My Docu‐
35 ments/.esniper in Windows).
36 -d Enable debug mode. The corresponding configuration option is
38 debug, default value is false. Log files are named
39 esniper.<auction_num>.log and esniper.log, and are written to
40 the current working directory. If the -l option or logdir con‐
41 figuration option is used, log files are written to the speci‐
42 fied directory.
43 -h Show command line option help.
45 -H Show configuration and auction file help.
47 -i Print information on given auctions and exit.
49 -l Set the directory where log files will be written. The corre‐
51 sponding configuration option is logdir, default value is the
52 current working directory, or if an auction file is specified
53 the directory of the auction file. The directory must exist and
54 be writeable. Log files are written when the -d option is used.
55 -m Print user's my eBay watched items list and exit. The user's
57 myEbay watched items list must use the default column ordering.
58 -n Do not bid. The corresponding configuration option is bid,
60 default value is true. Useful for debugging, it exercises most
61 of esniper except actually placing bids. It is also be useful
62 for checking the status of an auction, without accidentally
63 placing a bid.
64 -p Specify an http proxy to use. The corresponding configuration
66 option is proxy, default value is the value of the http_proxy
67 environment variable. The proxy should be of the form
68 http://host:port/.
69 -P Prompt the user for their ebay password. This overrides the
71 password set in any configuration or auction file.
72 -q Set the quantity. The corresponding configuration option is
74 quantity, default value is 1. esniper will quit when it has won
75 enough items.
76 -r Do not reduce quantity on startup for items you have already
78 won. The corresponding configuration option is reduce, default
79 value is true.
80 -s Set the bidding time, specified as now, or seconds before the
82 end of an auction. If now is used, bids will be placed immedi‐
83 ately. The corresponding configuration option is seconds,
84 default value is 10 seconds. You should snipe late enough in an
85 auction to prevent a manual bidder to update their bid, but
86 before other snipes. In case two bids are within one bid incre‐
87 ment of each other, the first bid placed wins.
88 -u Set the ebay username. The corresponding configuration option
90 is username, there is no default value.
91 -U Prompt the user for their ebay username.
93 -v Print version and exit.
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97 Most command-line options can also be set in a configuration file. The
98 advantage of using a configuration file is that you can set all of you
99 options once and not have to enter them on the command line every time
100 you run esniper.
101 A configuration file consists of option lines, in the format
103 "option=value", blank lines, and comments. Option names are listed
104 above with their corresponding command-line flags. Comments begin with
105 #.
106 One configuration file option that doesn't have a corresponding com‐
108 mand-line flag is password. The password option allows you to set your
109 eBay password. If you store your eBay password in a configuration
110 file, you should ensure that the configuration file can be read only by
111 you.
112 The default configuration file is $HOME/.esniper (or $USERPROFILE/My
114 Documents/.esniper in Windows). If an auction file is used, esniper
115 will also attempt to read .esniper from the directory that contains the
116 auction file; options set in this configuration file will override
117 options set in the user's default configuration file. However, if the
118 -c command line option is used, then only the configuration file speci‐
119 fied by the -c command line option is read.
120 Options specified on the command line override corresponding options
122 set in an auction file, and options set in an auction file override
123 options set in any configuration file.
124
126 An auction file is similar to a configuration file, but it also has one
127 or more auction lines. An auction line contains an auction number,
128 optionally followed by a bid price. If no bid price is given, the auc‐
129 tion number uses the bid price of the first prior auction line that
130 contains a bid price.
131 If an auction file is specified and the -c option isn't used, esniper
133 attempts to read .esniper from the directory where the auction file is
134 located. See the CONFIGURATION FILE section for more details.
135
137 An example of a configuration file:
138 # A configuration file contains option settings,
140 # blank lines, and comments (begin with #). The
141 # default configuration file is $HOME/.esniper, and
142 # if you specify an auction file, .esniper in the
143 # auction file's directory as well. If you specify a
144 # configuration file using the -c command-line option,
145 # then that configuration file will be the only one
146 # read.
147 #
148 # If you set your password in a configuration file
149 # and you are on a unix system, you should be the
150 # owner of the file, and you should set the
151 # permissions so that it is readable only by the
152 # owner.
153 #
154 # Here are all the options. Note that if the
155 # default (as defined in esniper -H) is fine, you
156 # don't need to specify it in a configuration file.
157 # boolean parameters can be set to:
159 # true, y, yes, on, 1, enabled
160 # false, n, no, off, 0, disabled
161 batch = false
162 bid = yes
163 debug = enabled
164 reduce = y
165 # Note: it would be nice if logdir could use ~myuser,
167 # or $HOME. Perhaps in a future version.
168 logdir = /export/home/myuser/esniperlogs
169 password = myebaypassword
170 # Note: proxy authentication not yet supported
171 proxy = http://192.168.1.1:8080/
172 username = myebayusername
173 # Note: quantity is usually set in an auction file
175 quantity = 1
176 # Note: seconds can also be "now", if you want to
177 # bid immediately
178 seconds = 10
179 An example of an auction file:
181 # An auction file may contain any line that is valid
183 # in a configuration file (see sample_config.txt for
184 # details), plus it may also have auction lines.
185 #
186 # An auction line contains an auction number, optionally
187 # followed by a price. If a price isn't specified, the
188 # price used is the same as the previous auction line.
189 #
190 # You should have one auction file for each type of item
191 # you are bidding on, so that you can change the quantity,
192 # username, or other options to suit the item you are
193 # bidding on. For instance, you may want to buy up to 10
194 # laser print cartridges, but only one digital camera.
195 # Sample auction file for laser printer cartridges
197 # I'd like 10 of them, and my target price is $50
199 quantity = 10
200 # seller surpluslaserjunk, shipping $15,
202 # questionable reputation (so I'll only pay $40 total)
203 9298389738 25
204 9872749829
205 9872972987
206 9087289973
207 # seller highqualityprintersupplies, shipping $8,
209 # excellent reputation
210 9982309829 42
211 9827349827
212 # seller nonbusinesshomeseller, shipping not mentioned
214 # (assume $10), good reputation
215 9287398473 35
216 # seller lasersuppliesforcheap, lousy reputation,
218 # don't buy!!!
219 #9239889372 0
220
222 http_proxy The default http proxy. The -p command-line option and
223 proxy configuration option override this setting.
224 USERPROFILE Windows user's home directory. If no configuration file
226 is specified, esniper tries to read the file My Docu‐
227 ments/.esniper under the USERPROFILE directory. Note:
228 esniper for Windows 95, 98 and Me is compiled under cyg‐
229 win, a unix-like environment for Windows. This version
230 of esniper uses the HOME environment variable, as
231 described below.
232 HOME Unix user's home directory. If no configuration file is
234 specified, esniper tries to read the file .esniper in
235 this directory.
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238 eBay likes to change their website often. Some of these changes will
239 break esniper. If esniper doesn't work for you, please make sure you
240 have the most recent version. You can check the version of esniper you
241 are using by running esniper with the -v option. Updates to esniper
242 are available at http://esniper.sf.net/.
243 If you are running the most current version and you are still encoun‐
245 tering a bug, please report the bug at http://esniper.sf.net/. To keep
246 up to date with new releases and major bugs, subscribe to the esniper
247 announce mailing list at http://lists.sf.net/lists/listinfo/esniper-
248 announce
249
251 Many thanks to all contributors and users.
252
254 Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004 Scott Nicol <esniper@users.sf.net> All
255 rights reserved.
256 31 Jan 2005 esniper(1)