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yes – Print the specified string repeatedly

The yes command is a Linux utility that prints a specified string repeatedly until it is terminated. The default string is “y”, but it can be changed to any string of your choice. This command is commonly used in scripts to automate the process of answering prompts that require a “yes” or “no” response.

Detailed Overview

The basic syntax of the yes command is as follows:

yes [STRING]

By default, the yes command will print “y” repeatedly until it is terminated. However, you can specify a different string to be printed by providing it as an argument to the command. For example, to print “hello” repeatedly, you would use the following command:

yes hello

This will output “hello” repeatedly until it is terminated.

Use Cases

The yes command can be useful in a variety of scenarios, such as:

  • Automating the process of answering prompts that require a “yes” or “no” response.
  • Stress testing applications by generating a large amount of input data.
  • Testing the behavior of programs or scripts that require continuous input.

Examples

Here are some examples of how the yes command can be used:

  1. To automate the process of answering a “yes” prompt:
yes | command-that-asks-for-confirmation

This will pipe “y” into the command that asks for confirmation, effectively answering “yes” to the prompt.

  1. To generate a large amount of input data:
yes "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit." | command-that-requires-input

This will repeatedly print the specified string until it is terminated, effectively generating a large amount of input data for the command that requires it.

Options

The yes command has only one option:

Option Description
-h Displays help information for the command.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • If the yes command is not printing anything, make sure that it has not been redirected to a file or another command. By default, the output of the yes command is sent to stdout.
  • If the yes command is printing too much output and you want to terminate it, press Ctrl-C to send a SIGINT signal to the command.

Notes

  • The yes command is a simple but powerful tool that can be used in various scenarios to automate tasks or generate input data.
  • Be careful when using the yes command with the default “y” string, as it can potentially cause unintended consequences if used improperly. Always make sure to test your commands and scripts thoroughly before running them in a production environment.

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