Why am I getting this error?


 
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Top Forums Shell Programming and Scripting Why am I getting this error?
# 1  
Old 10-21-2013
Why am I getting this error?

I have a program in which the user enters the login credentials and if they fail 3 times in a row, they are locked out of the program (PS. How do I do that? Just "exit"?)
Here's what I have:
Code:
#!/bin/sh
echo "*****Welcome to User Administration Program******"
read -p "Enter Username: " USERVAR
read -s -p "Enter Password: " PASSVAR
for TRY in 1 2 3 4
do
   if [ "$TRY" == 4 ] then
 exit
 else
echo ""
   fi
if [ USERVAR == "admin" ] && [ PASSVAR == "superuser" ]
  then
  echo "Welcome back Admin,"
  echo "Enter command>"
  read command
     else
     echo "The username/password you entered was incorrect"
     PASSVAR=""
     USERVAR=""
fi
done

I'm getting a syntax error on line 9 due to the Else, not sure why.
I think the for loop will work, I'm not sure. I can't really test it properly because of this if statement not working
# 2  
Old 10-21-2013
Probably best to just make the script readable/executable by admin user.

Putting password in the script is not at all secure as user needs to be able to read it to execute an so can just cat/view the script and note down the password.
# 3  
Old 10-21-2013
Either type a ; before the then, or make then on a new line.

Eg:
Code:
do
   if [ "$TRY" == 4 ]
   then   exit
   else   ...

OR
Code:
do
   if [ "$TRY" == 4 ] ; then
          exit
   else   ...

Hope this helps

BTW: Try to keep statments alignment to themselfs (tab-intends for example).

Last edited by sea; 10-21-2013 at 11:54 PM..
This User Gave Thanks to sea For This Post:
# 4  
Old 10-22-2013
Thanks sea, that worked.
Question though, with this, instead of it breaking the loop, it plays the message 3 times that the password/username is wrong. Basically it doesn't let the user try again.
I think this is because it isn't changing the values of PASSVAR and USERVAR. How would I reset their values and let the user try again? I have USERVAR = "" and the same for passvar, but I don't think that works. Or rather, it works, and then the program checks for the USERVAR/PASSVAR again, and they are blank. Whilst blank, it still checks them as wrong and shows that it is wrong.
Not sure what to do here

Edit: Even when the user puts in the correct credentials, it still says it is wrong.
# 5  
Old 10-22-2013
Note: the proper syntax for numerical comparison in sh is if [ "$TRY" -eq 4 ].

Also read -p and read -s are bash syntax, but the shebang says #!/bin/sh. So if you want to use that syntax, you need to change the shebang to #!/bin/bash, to ensure the script runs with the proper shell.

In order to repeatedly ask for user name and password, you would need to make the read statements part of your loop, for example:
Code:
TRY=0
while
  read -p "Enter Username: " USERVAR
  read -s -p "Enter Password: " PASSVAR
  echo
do
  if [ $(( TRY+=1 )) -eq 4 ]; then 
    exit
  fi
  if [ "$condition" = "correct" ]; then     # bit of pseudo code to demonstrate how to break from the loop if conditions are met..
    break
  fi
  ....
done


--
If you are switching to bash syntax you could also use:
Code:
if (( ++TRY == 4 )); then

--
I agree with Chubler, that putting a password in a script is not a secure way to go about..
This User Gave Thanks to Scrutinizer For This Post:
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