cannot execute command after logging in with expect - bash

Question

I have the following script:
#!/usr/bin/expect -f
set timeout 60
spawn ssh -X user#login.domain.co.uk
expect "Password:"
# Send the password, and then wait for a shell prompt.
send "password\r"
exp_continue
expect "user*"
send "ls -la\r"
however I get the following:
Password: command returned bad code: -101
while executing
"exp_continue"
(file "./hpclogin.sh" line 10)
If I remove the exp_continue i.e.
#!/usr/bin/expect -f
set timeout 60
spawn ssh -X user#login.domain.co.uk
expect "Password:"
# Send the password, and then wait for a shell prompt.
send "password\r"
expect "user*"
send "ls -la\r"
I can log in successfully, however the ls -la command does not get executed. Is there something wrong with the flow-control of my program?

Answer 1

exp_continue is only useful inside an expect block. For example:
spawn ssh -X user#example.com
expect {
"continue connecting (yes/no)? " {
send "yes\r"
exp_continue"
}
"Password:"
}
send "password\r"
I think you're not seeing the ls output because you're not expecting to see anything after to send it. Depending on your workflow, here are 2 thoughts:
add the command as arguments to ssh
spawn ssh -X user#example.com ls -la
expect {
"continue connecting (yes/no)? " {
send "yes\r"
exp_continue"
}
"Password:"
}
send "password\r"
expect eof
expect a prompt after the command, and log out afterwards
spawn ssh -X user#example.com
expect {
"continue connecting (yes/no)? " {
send "yes\r"
exp_continue"
}
"Password:"
}
send "password\r"
expect $theprompt
send "ls -la\r"
expect $theprompt
send "exit\r"
expect eof
Of course, this would be much simpler using ssh keys:
ssh-keygen
ssh-copy-id user#example.com
ssh -X user#example.com ls -la