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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.
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.
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.
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
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
Many thanks to all contributors and users.