Code Project: Build an Ncurses UI with Python

“n this guide, we’ll show you how to write a nifty front-end for
the useradd utility, a command which (unsurprisingly) lets you add
user accounts to your Linux installation. Like many administration
tools, useradd requires a long string of options and parameters;
we’re going to make it much simpler by creating an interactive
dialog-driven version called UserMaster.

“Now, useradd is a fairly trivial tool and there’s an
alternative command, adduser, which prompts you step-by-step. But
here we’ll give you the code and techniques to make your own config
tools – so at the end, you’ll be able to write user-friendly
utilities for starting services, clearing temporary files, or
anything else you’d normally do at the shell prompt. Not only will
this save you vital time when you’re at the command line, but it
means you can write config tools for other people who may log into
your machines. If you run a server and don’t want users trying to
guesstimate super-complex commands, you can knock together a quick
dialog-based version.

“As with our previous code projects (check them out – go on,
just right-click the link and select Open Link in New Tab!), this
guide assumes a smattering of programming knowledge. Don’t worry:
you don’t need to be a coding whizz, but if you’ve played around
with another language before, you’ll be off to a flying start. But
even if you’ve never written a line of code in your life, hopefully
this tutorial will show you how programs fit together and what you
can do. Enough chit-chat – let’s get started with
UserMaster…”

Complete Story