How do I script a "yes" response for installing programs?

I work with Amazon Linux instances and I have a couple scripts to populate data and install all the programs I work with, but a couple of the programs ask:

Do you want to continue [Y/n]?

and pause the install. I want to auto answer "Y" in all cases, I'm just now sure how to do it.

The 'yes' command will echo 'y' (or whatever you ask it to) indefinitely. Use it as:

yes | command-that-asks-for-input

or, if a capital 'Y' is required:

yes Y | command-that-asks-for-input

If you want to pass 'N' you can still use yes:

yes N | command-that-asks-for-input

echo y | command should work.

Also, some installers have an "auto-yes" flag. It's -y for apt-get on Ubuntu.

You might not have the ability to install Expect on the target server. This is often the case when one writes, say, a Jenkins job.

If so, I would consider something like the answer to the following on askubuntu.com:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/338857/automatically-enter-input-in-command-line

printf 'y\nyes\nno\nmaybe\n' | ./script_that_needs_user_input

Note that in some rare cases the command does not require the user to press enter after the character. in that case leave the newlines out:

printf 'yyy' | ./script_that_needs_user_input

For sake of completeness you can also use a here document:

./script_that_needs_user_input << EOF
y
y
y
EOF

Or if your shell supports it a here string:

./script <<< "y
y
y
"

Or you can create a file with one input per line:

./script < inputfile

Again, all credit for this answer goes to the author of the answer on askubuntu.com, lesmana.

You just need to put -y with the install command.

For example: yum install <package_to_install> -y

Although this may be more complicated/heavier-weight than you want, one very flexible way to do it is using something like Expect (or one of the derivatives in another programming language).

Expect is a language designed specifically to control text-based applications, which is exactly what you are looking to do. If you end up needing to do something more complicated (like with logic to actually decide what to do/answer next), Expect is the way to go.