--- name: "bidwatcher" section: "1" platform: "linux" package: "bidwatcher" version: "1.3.17-1" release: "Debian 3.1 (Sarge)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/bidwatcher" --- # bidwatcher(1) program for watching and bidding on eBay auctions ## NAME bidwatcher - program for watching and bidding on eBay auctions ## SYNOPSIS **bidwatcher** ## DESCRIPTION **bidwatcher** is a program that keeps track of eBay (http://www.ebay.com/) auctions. With it, you can bid on auctions or use the "snipe" feature, where **bidwatcher** synchronizes its clock with eBay's and bids on an item just before the auction ends. You can also use it to specify a maximum bid and let it do the bidding for you. ## OPTIONS This program has no bidwatcher command-line options. All configuration is done through the GUI. However, it does make use of the [**gtk-options**(7)](/gtk-options/7.md). ## CONFIGURATION - **User Information** - User ID Your eBay user ID. Necessary for sniping and placing bids. - Password Your eBay user password. Necessary for sniping and placing bids. - **System Information** - Path to web browser The path to the browser on your system. bidwatcher makes attempts to idenfity t the type of browser and issue the right command to open the auction URL in the browser. - Path to email client The path to the email client on your system. - Proxy server The (optional) proxy server for bidwatcher to use. - **Auction Options** - Track my eBay listings Check eBay for any auctions you have listed. These will be added to the list. - Track current bids Check eBay for any auctions that you have bid on. These will be added to the list. - Automatically delete ended auctions Upon the finish of an auction, delete it from the list. - Check auctions on startup Upon startup of bidwatcher, refresh all of the auction information for the auctions in your list. - Retain window size Attempt to remember and use the size of the bidwatcher GUI window. - Retain window position Attempt to remember and use the position of the bidwatcher GUI window. - Security level This option can be set to Low, Medium, and High. Each affects how much information bidwatcher will store. Setting it on Low means bidwatcher will never forget your username and password (stored on disk). Setting it on Medium means bidwatcher will never forget your username and password during this session (stored in memory). Setting it on High means bidwatcher will not store the username and password at all. The feature was added in case you run bidwatcher on a machine where you don't necessarily have the luxury of trusting the system administrator. - Snipe timer The amount of time (in seconds) before the end of an auction to initiate snipes. - Update intervals The update intervals are configurable in case you want bidwatcher to be more or less aggressive with respect to the frequency by which it will update auction information. - eBay country Selecting the country changes which website we will open when going to the auction by modifying the URL accordingly. - **Bid Groups** - Installing a new snipegroup Click on the first auction for the snipegroup with the left mouse button and an another auction for the same snipegroup with the middle mouse button. The assigned snipegroup-number will be shown in the comment section for both auctions. For all bid group actions, ctrl+left mouse can be substituted for the middle mouse button. - Adding an auction to a snipegroup Click on an auction in the snipegroup with the left mouse button and an the auction you want to add with the middle mouse button. - Remove an aucton from a snipegroup Select the auction you want to delete with the left mouse button and click on it with the middle mouse button right after this. The auction will be removed from its snipegroup. - Change the snipegroup of an auction Select an auction of the snipegroup you want with the left mouse button and click on it the auction to be changed with the middle mouse button. ## BUGS This program will have bugs. It helps everyone if you report them, with as much detail possible. You can do so at the following URL: *http://sourceforge.net/projects/bidwatcher* Alternatively, you could join the bidwatcher-users or bidwatcher-devel mailing lists on sourceforge. If you need a realtime venue, try #bidwatcher on freenode. ## AUTHOR Kevin Dwyer \ is the current developer of **bidwatcher.** Previous developers include: Trent McNair \, Tom McNair \, Wayne Schlitt \, and Ben Byer \. This manual page was originally written by Eric Gillespie, Jr. \, for the Debian GNU/Linux system (but may be used by others). It is now currently maintained and contributed to by Kevin Dwyer \.