[ale] How to drive Linux browser to make a campground sniper?

[Alan Dobkin]

Try iMacros: https://imacros.net/

I've used it in the past with great success to automate repetitive
tasks, like configuring a web-based PBX.

The only problem with the Firefox version is that it has not been
re-written to comply with Firefox Quantum, as is the case with many
other excellent long-term Firefox add-ons. So you will have to use with
a version prior to Firefox 57.


On 1/13/2018 2:20 PM, Pete Hardie via Ale wrote:
> I have used a Firefox extension that could script both butting presses
> and field entries, and I believe it could check data form the page.  I
> will see if I can look up the name
>
> On Sat, Jan 13, 2018 at 2:16 PM, Neal Rhodes via Ale <ale at ale.org
> <mailto:ale at ale.org>> wrote:
>
>     Boring "Real-World Details":
>
>         So, we are planning a summer trip to Glacier National Park in
>         Montana.
>
>         We would really like to camp at Many Glaciers Campground in
>         the park.  However, at present,  all the sites are already
>         reserved.   They are reserved through recreation.gov
>         <http://recreation.gov>, starting 6 months to the day from today.
>
>         But we have a really strong impression that people initially
>         book a long stretch, then later either reduce the duration
>         once they get more specific plans, or cancel.
>
>         SO, we really want to detect if/when sites become available
>         over the next 6 months and jump on it before someone else does.
>
>         There is someone who offers this as a service for $40 a
>         reservation, irrespective of whether they are successful.
>
>     Exciting Technology Application:
>
>         Initially I looked at the HTML for their search page, with the
>         thought of using "wget" to simulate the reservation request.  
>         That increasingly looks like a fool's errand, assuming that
>         they may have session cookies related to sign-on and other
>         magic handshake crap that would be difficult to simulate.  And
>         what happens when they alter their data fields?
>
>         Then I thought:  All I want to do is:
>
>             Setup a browser window on our Centos 6 desktop, any
>             browser that understands https;
>             Run that browser through the responses to get it to the
>             search window on this campground, and put in all the dates
>             and related input.
>             Then:
>
>                 Run SOMETHING that will automate:
>
>                     Hit the Search Submit button;
>                     See if the resultant page contains "No Suitable
>                     availability"
>                     IF Not: Email me
>                     Sleep 15 minutes
>                     Rinse, Later, Repeat
>
>         This sounds to me like a very elemental application of a
>         test/control manager for a GUI interface.    If I can automate
>         an existing browser, we can eliminate all the complexities of
>         trying to fake out their web server.
>
>         Since this just sits on my desk in the basement, I can live
>         with hard-coded screen coordinates.
>
>         What tools exist in Linux to do this?
>
>     regards,
>
>     Neal Rhodes
>     MNOP Ltd
>
>
>
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>
>
>
> -- 
> Pete Hardie
> --------
> Better Living Through Bitmaps
>
>
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