These shell scripts generate plots using the web plotter and download data using the ftp2u web pages. You should be able cron these scripts. [Note: many sites have automated the download of data and plots. I am assuming that they are using techniques similar to those used in the sample scripts.] These scripts were put on this FTP server as examples of scripts that generate and download plots or download data. I use the plot scripts to browse the forecasts so they are a bit USA-centric. These scripts are lots of fun. I fire them up from work and home and after a few minutes, I "xv" the gifs (simple animation). Fun to see how those nasty storms avoid DC by either going out to sea or towards the mountains. If you really wanted to get fancy, you could create animated gifs. You can also build scripts that use the FTP2U server. See sample_gdas_download.sh as an example. Oh yes, I've only used these scripts on my linux boxes at home and at work. They won't work on a workstation without a few alterations although the basic scheme will still work. Requirements: unix/linux, GNU date command, wwwgrab, xv, perl --------------------------------------------------------------- I've left an old copy of wwwgrab in this directory. If you have problems, you should get a new copy of this program from the web. New versions will work behind a firewall. --------------------------------------------------------------- Using wwwgrab is pretty easy. You need a current version of Perl (if you think v4 is current, you are probably writing letters to President Bush). [Note: this line was written long before George W was in the news.] Then you need to change the first line on wwwgrab to reflect the location of perl executable. Next you fire up your browser and surf to the page you want to "automatically" download. You then cut the URL from the browser, surround the URL with double quotes, add a wwwgrab in the front and the name of the output file in the rear. Note, wwwgrab is simple and it doesn't handle many of the fancy browser features such push-technology and cookies. In addition, it neither supports "ftp://" URLs nor "POST" type forms (AFAIK). [Note: the beta version of wwwgrab has more capabilities.] . In addition, you may have to know a little html to understand the results. Fortunately for all you lurkers, my plot and ftp2u servers use the "GET" interface. (Was it part of a "grand" design or simple blind luck?) WNE PS If you are particularly proud of a script and want the world to be in awe of your brilliance, I can post it here. My scripts are just rough examples to get people started or perhaps confused. PS There is a version of wwwgrab that works through firewalls. You can find it on the net. 4/19/00 mrf.sh mrf.gif.sh changed to reflect new names of control files (4 year date code) 8/28/00 clean up the text