Automated test tools for Linux/ncurses

Question

I've picked up a legacy application developed in C/C++ on Linux, using ncurses for UI. What automated testing tools are there for this environment?

Edit: I've used AutomatedQA TestComplete in the past, and this is the type of tool I'm looking for - except running on Linux, and with the ability to test Text UI apps.

Answer 1

I wrote something like that before. Not much docs, but you can try the code. It's written in Python and runs on Linux.

You would basically need the ANSIterm filter, and the expect module. Then you compose them into a filter. You'll likely have to start the process with the proctools module. They are all designed to work together or separately (modular).

Answer 2

Have a look at the free version of TETware from the Open Group. It is a full test harness based on TCL.

Answer 3

The expect tool sounds like what you need: http://linux.die.net/man/1/expect

Answer 4

I have considered using Rational Function Tester and TestComplete.

RFT has explicit support for testing this type of application (text-mode linux) via built-in terminal emulation.

TestComplete does not support testing Linux apps directly, but can be made to work by "testing" a COM-enabled terminal emulation program (Attachmate Reflection at this stage), and using COM from the test scripts to do screen scraping.

Have also considered using Reflection as the terminal emulator and rolling my own test framework in C# and NUnit.

Edit: "Final" solution is using Terminator (a Java terminal emulator), extending it with an RMI interface and using TestNG...