xenial (1) esniper.1.gz

Provided by: esniper_2.31.0-1_amd64 bug

NAME

       esniper - a lightweight ebay sniping tool

SYNOPSIS

       esniper  [-bdhHimnPrUv]  [-c  conf_file]  [-l  logdir]  [-p  proxy] [-q quantity] [-s secs|now] [-u user]
       (auction_file | [ auction price ... ])

DESCRIPTION

       esniper is a lightweight ebay sniping tool.  It doesn't have a lot of features, and that is by design.

       Auctions are specified on the command line, using the  auction  number  and  your  bid  price.   Multiple
       auctions  can  be  bid  on  by  specifying  more auctions and bid prices.  esniper stops when the desired
       quantity has been won (default is 1).

       You can use an auction file instead of specifying auctions on the command line.   See  the  AUCTION  FILE
       section below for more details.

OPTIONS

       -b     Enable  batch  mode.  The corresponding configuration option is batch, default value is false.  In
              batch mode, esniper never prompts for password and/or  username.   If  the  password  or  username
              cannot be determined from options or read from configuration or auction files, esniper will fail.

       -c     Specifies a configuration file to read.  All options can be set either by command-line flags or in
              the  configuration  file.   See  the  CONFIGURATION  FILE  section  for  details.    The   default
              configuration file is $HOME/.esniper (or $USERPROFILE/My Documents/.esniper in Windows).

       -d     Enable  debug mode.  The corresponding configuration option is debug, default value is false.  Log
              files are named esniper.<auction_num>.log and esniper.log, and are written to the current  working
              directory.   If the -l option or logdir configuration option is used, log files are written to the
              specified directory.

       -h     Show command line option help.

       -H     Show configuration and auction file help.

       -i     Print information on given auctions and exit.

       -l     Set the directory where log files will be written.   The  corresponding  configuration  option  is
              logdir,  default  value  is  the current working directory, or if an auction file is specified the
              directory of the auction file.  The directory must exist and be writeable.  Log files are  written
              when the -d option is used.

       -m     Print  user's  my eBay watched items list and exit.  The user's myEbay watched items list must use
              the default column ordering.

       -n     Do not bid.  The corresponding configuration option is bid, default value  is  true.   Useful  for
              debugging,  it  exercises  most of esniper except actually placing bids.  It is also be useful for
              checking the status of an auction, without accidentally placing a bid.

       -p     Specify an http proxy to use.  The corresponding configuration option is proxy, default  value  is
              the   value   of   the  http_proxy  environment  variable.   The  proxy  should  be  of  the  form
              http://host:port/.

       -P     Prompt the user for their ebay password.  This overrides the password set in any configuration  or
              auction file.

       -q     Set  the  quantity.   The  corresponding  configuration  option  is  quantity, default value is 1.
              esniper will quit when it has won enough items.

       -r     Do not reduce quantity on startup for items you have already won.  The corresponding configuration
              option is reduce, default value is true.

       -s     Set  the bidding time, specified as now, or seconds before the end of an auction.  If now is used,
              bids will be placed immediately.  The corresponding configuration option is seconds, default value
              is  10  seconds.   You should snipe late enough in an auction to prevent a manual bidder to update
              their bid, but before other snipes.  In case two bids are within one bid increment of each  other,
              the first bid placed wins.

       -u     Set  the  ebay  username.  The corresponding configuration option is username, there is no default
              value.

       -U     Prompt the user for their ebay username.

       -v     Print version and exit.

CONFIGURATION FILE

       Most command-line options  can  also  be  set  in  a  configuration  file.   The  advantage  of  using  a
       configuration  file is that you can set all of you options once and not have to enter them on the command
       line every time you run esniper.

       A configuration file consists of option lines, in the format "option=value", blank lines,  and  comments.
       Option names are listed above with their corresponding command-line flags.  Comments begin with #.

       One  configuration  file  option  that  doesn't  have a corresponding command-line flag is password.  The
       password option allows you to set your eBay password.  If you store your eBay password in a configuration
       file, you should ensure that the configuration file can be read only by you.

       The  default configuration file is $HOME/.esniper (or $USERPROFILE/My Documents/.esniper in Windows).  If
       an auction file is used, esniper will also attempt to read .esniper from the directory that contains  the
       auction  file;  options  set  in  this configuration file will override options set in the user's default
       configuration file.  However, if the -c command line option is used, then  only  the  configuration  file
       specified by the -c command line option is read.

       Options  specified on the command line override corresponding options set in an auction file, and options
       set in an auction file override options set in any configuration file.

AUCTION FILE

       An auction file is similar to a configuration file, but it also  has  one  or  more  auction  lines.   An
       auction  line  contains an auction number, optionally followed by a bid price.  If no bid price is given,
       the auction number uses the bid price of the first prior auction line that contains a bid price.

       If an auction file is specified and the -c option isn't used, esniper attempts to read .esniper from  the
       directory where the auction file is located.  See the CONFIGURATION FILE section for more details.

EXAMPLES

       An example of a configuration file:

            # A configuration file contains option settings,
            # blank lines, and comments (begin with #).  The
            # default configuration file is $HOME/.esniper, and
            # if you specify an auction file, .esniper in the
            # auction file's directory as well.  If you specify a
            # configuration file using the -c command-line option,
            # then that configuration file will be the only one
            # read.
            #
            # If you set your password in a configuration file
            # and you are on a unix system, you should be the
            # owner of the file, and you should set the
            # permissions so that it is readable only by the
            # owner.
            #
            # Here are all the options.  Note that if the
            # default (as defined in esniper -H) is fine, you
            # don't need to specify it in a configuration file.

            # boolean parameters can be set to:
            #    true, y, yes, on, 1, enabled
            #    false, n, no, off, 0, disabled
            batch = false
            bid = yes
            debug = enabled
            reduce = y

            # Note: it would be nice if logdir could use ~myuser,
            # or $HOME.  Perhaps in a future version.
            logdir = /export/home/myuser/esniperlogs
            password = myebaypassword
            # Note: proxy authentication not yet supported
            proxy = http://192.168.1.1:8080/
            username = myebayusername

            # Note: quantity is usually set in an auction file
            quantity = 1
            # Note: seconds can also be "now", if you want to
            # bid immediately
            seconds = 10

       An example of an auction file:

            # An auction file may contain any line that is valid
            # in a configuration file (see sample_config.txt for
            # details), plus it may also have auction lines.
            #
            # An auction line contains an auction number, optionally
            # followed by a price.  If a price isn't specified, the
            # price used is the same as the previous auction line.
            #
            # You should have one auction file for each type of item
            # you are bidding on, so that you can change the quantity,
            # username, or other options to suit the item you are
            # bidding on.  For instance, you may want to buy up to 10
            # laser print cartridges, but only one digital camera.

            # Sample auction file for laser printer cartridges

            # I'd like 10 of them, and my target price is $50
            quantity = 10

            # seller surpluslaserjunk, shipping $15,
            # questionable reputation (so I'll only pay $40 total)
            9298389738 25
            9872749829
            9872972987
            9087289973

            # seller highqualityprintersupplies, shipping $8,
            # excellent reputation
            9982309829 42
            9827349827

            # seller nonbusinesshomeseller, shipping not mentioned
            # (assume $10), good reputation
            9287398473 35

            # seller lasersuppliesforcheap, lousy reputation,
            # don't buy!!!
            #9239889372 0

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

       http_proxy     The  default  http  proxy.   The  -p  command-line  option  and proxy configuration option
                      override this setting.

       USERPROFILE    Windows user's home directory.  If no configuration file is specified,  esniper  tries  to
                      read  the  file  My Documents/.esniper under the USERPROFILE directory.  Note: esniper for
                      Windows 95, 98 and Me is compiled under cygwin, a unix-like environment for Windows.  This
                      version of esniper uses the HOME environment variable, as described below.

       HOME           Unix  user's home directory.  If no configuration file is specified, esniper tries to read
                      the file .esniper in this directory.

BUGS

       eBay likes to change their website often.  Some of these changes will break esniper.  If esniper  doesn't
       work  for  you,  please make sure you have the most recent version.  You can check the version of esniper
       you  are  using  by  running  esniper  with  the  -v  option.   Updates  to  esniper  are  available   at
       http://esniper.sf.net/.

       If  you  are running the most current version and you are still encountering a bug, please report the bug
       at http://esniper.sf.net/.  To keep up to date with new releases and major bugs, subscribe to the esniper
       announce mailing list at http://lists.sf.net/lists/listinfo/esniper-announce

THANKS

       Many thanks to all contributors and users.

AUTHOR

       Copyright (C) 2002, 2003, 2004 Scott Nicol <esniper@users.sf.net> All rights reserved.

                                                   31 Jan 2005                                        esniper(1)