[SOLVED] Bash Script comparing two files

[dresden0526]

I need to compare two files. I know this sounds easy but the way I have to create the two files is confusing me.

The code that I have is:

while [ $COUNT -gt 0 ]; do
	echo "DATE: $CURRENT">> spy.txt
	
	ps axo user,pid,comm >> spy.txt  #run command ps to list all process and append it to thelog file
	
echo " "
	
echo " " > temp.txt

grep DATE spy.txt >> temp.txt
for array in ${array[at symbol]} #it will not let me post with the actual at symbol
do
    grep "$array" spy.txt >> temp.txt
done
	let COUNT=COUNT-1 #count down mechanism for loop
	sleep $TIME  #argument to wait so many seconds between iterationso fo main loop
done

For each time the loop is called the ps command is run and sent to a file spy.txt, then I take the array of strings and grep spy.txt to see if there is a specific process run by a user, or if a particular process is running.
Now the next part of what I need to do is each time the while loop runs for COUNT I need to compare the last scan that is sent to temp.txt with the new scan and send the output to a file. Now I do not know how to do this. Do I need to copy temp.txt to a different file before the loop runs again and compare the copy of temp.txt with the new temp.txt?
Is there an easier way of doing this that I am missing?

[mrbruno]

I'm having trouble following what you're trying to do. Can you provide an example to describe your objective in terms of expected output?

[dresden0526]

Ok the first goal is to create a list of processes :

dresden0526 4325 bash
dresden0526 ps axo

Then the program takes a list of arguments supplied at the command line and searches the list for matches:

./spy.sh ps -t 10 -n 3

Where ps is the string , -t is the time the program sleeps between scans and -n is the number of times the scan should occur

Then each scan should compare its results with the last scan and place the result differences in an output file with the date of the scan and the processes:

Date
Started: dresden0526 ps axo

Date #scan 2
Ended : dresden0526 ps axo

Date #scan 3
<no results>

I know I should use the sed command to append started and ended to the output, but I am confused as to how I am to create a file and compare the file created the first time in the loop to the file that is created the second time the loop runs .

[mrbruno]

Is this anything like you're looking for:

iterations=3
delay=10

while getopts n:t: o
do   case "$o" in
     n)   iterations="$OPTARG";;
     t)   delay="$OPTARG";;
     [?]) echo "Usage: $0 [-n iterations] [-t delay] cmd" >&2
          exit 1;;
     esac
done
let 'shifter=OPTIND-1'
shift $shifter

rm -f out.last out.curr

loop=1
while test $loop -le $iterations
do
   "$@" 2>/dev/null > out.curr
   if test $loop -gt 1
   then
      if ! diff out.last out.curr >/dev/null
      then
        date
        diff out.last out.curr
        echo
      fi
   fi
   sleep $delay
   mv out.curr out.last
   let 'loop=loop+1'
done

rm -f out.last out.curr

I was testing with a command like: cmddiff -n 10 date '+%H:%M'

This is very quick and dirty and is fragile because it does no checking of the parameters, etc.

[dresden0526]

Is this anything like you're looking for:

iterations=3
delay=10

while getopts n:t: o
do   case "$o" in
     n)   iterations="$OPTARG";;
     t)   delay="$OPTARG";;
     [?]) echo "Usage: $0 [-n iterations] [-t delay] cmd" >&2
          exit 1;;
     esac
done
let 'shifter=OPTIND-1'
shift $shifter

rm -f out.last out.curr

loop=1
while test $loop -le $iterations
do
   "$@" 2>/dev/null > out.curr
   if test $loop -gt 1
   then
      if ! diff out.last out.curr >/dev/null
      then
        date
        diff out.last out.curr
        echo
      fi
   fi
   sleep $delay
   mv out.curr out.last
   let 'loop=loop+1'
done

rm -f out.last out.curr

I was testing with a command like: cmddiff -n 10 date '+%H:%M'

This is very quick and dirty and is fragile because it does no checking of the parameters, etc.

This is really helpful. I have the code for the getopts with parameter checking. Actually let me show you my code:

#!/bin/bash
trap "rm psmonitor.txt; echo Interupt encountered, exiting;  exit 1" SIGHUP SIGINT SIGTERM #trap to catch interupts , deletes output and prompts user with exit condition
CURRENT=$(date) 
	
usage(){
	echo "usage $0 -t[tseconds] -n[count]"
} #this function will print out the correct usage when the shell is run incorrectly 

COUNT=5
TIME=1

until [[ $1 == -* ]]
do
   array+=( "$1" )
   shift
done

while getopts :t:n: option #getopts to pass arguments to the script
do 
	case "${option}"
	 in 
		t) TIME="$OPTARG";;
		n) COUNT="$OPTARG";;
		
		\?) case "$OPTARG" in
			t) echo " missing time parameter." ;;
			n) echo " missing count parameter." ;;
			\?) echo "Error: unknown option -$option";;  #catch all error message
			esac
			usage #print usage to screen
			exit 0
			;;
	esac 
done

echo "DATE: $CURRENT" > spy.txt
ps axo user,pid,comm >> spy.txt
echo " " 

echo " " > temp.txt
grep DATE spy.txt >> temp.txt

for array in ${array[@]} 
do
    grep "$array" spy.txt | sed "s/^/Started:/">> temp.txt
done

let COUNT=COUNT-1


while [ $COUNT -gt 0 ]; do
	echo "DATE: $CURRENT"> spy.txt
	
	ps axo user,pid,comm >> spy.txt  #run command ps -e to list all process and append it to thelog file
	
echo " "
	

echo " " > temp1.txt
grep DATE spy.txt >> temp1.txt
for array in ${array[@]} 
do
    grep "$array" spy.txt >> temp1.txt
done
	let COUNT=COUNT-1 #count down mechanism for loop
	sleep $TIME  #argument to wait so many seconds between iterationso fo main loop
done

The first check on the output is done outside the loop becuase when the program runs the processes will always be considered as "Started"

Now I was figuring I could use the diff command to figure out if something was ended and use sed to indicate this. I am still struggling to see how I would run the command to check if something was started using the diff command.

I am applying some of your insights to my code and will tinker with it some more. Maybe having access to all the code I was working on, you may catch something that I have missed.

[dresden0526]

So I worked on my code a little bit and came up with some solutions.

I used diff last.txt current.txt |sed "s/^/Ended:/" >>out.txt to output if something has ended

Now I need to figure out how I can manipulate it to see if a new process has started

Any ideas?

[watael]

I feel like temporary files are useless, if you need to store data, you know arrays are useful.

Try this (it'll simplify the parsing):

put into the array any task you want to monitor

array=( apache2 getty )

ps $(printf -- '-C %s ' "${array[@]}") -o user=,pid=,comm=

or if you wish ps to print tasks following the array's order

for i in "${array[@]}"; do ps -C "$i" -o user=,pid=,comm=

nb: `for array in ${array[@]}` will replace the first element of the array with the last one, because $array is equal to ${array[0]}