diff --git a/src/pacroller/main.py b/src/pacroller/main.py
index 1e13901..a7a414e 100644
--- a/src/pacroller/main.py
+++ b/src/pacroller/main.py
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@ def upgrade(interactive=False) -> List[str]:
                 raise PackageHold(errors)
         except PackageHold as e:
             if interactive:
-                if ask_interactive_question(f"{e}, continue?"):
+                user_input = ask_interactive_question(f"{e}, continue? ")
+                if user_input and user_input.lower().startswith('y'):
                     logger.warning("user determined to continue")
                 else:
                     raise
diff --git a/src/pacroller/utils.py b/src/pacroller/utils.py
index 77f2bb9..0ab2e0d 100644
--- a/src/pacroller/utils.py
+++ b/src/pacroller/utils.py
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ from datetime import datetime
 from signal import SIGINT, SIGTERM, Signals
 from select import select
 from sys import stdin
+from os import environ
 logger = logging.getLogger()
 
 class UnknownQuestionError(subprocess.SubprocessError):
@@ -37,12 +38,17 @@ def execute_with_io(command: List[str], timeout: int = 3600, interactive: bool =
             terminate(p)
         else:
             logger.debug('set_timeout exit')
+    linebuf_env = dict(environ)
+    linebuf_env['_STDBUF_O'] = 'L'
+    linebuf_env['_STDBUF_E'] = 'L'
+    linebuf_env['LD_PRELOAD'] = '/usr/lib/coreutils/libstdbuf.so'
     p = subprocess.Popen(
             command,
             stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
             stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
             stderr=subprocess.STDOUT,
-            encoding='utf-8'
+            encoding='utf-8',
+            env=linebuf_env
         )
     logger.debug(f"running {command}")
     try:
@@ -55,25 +61,21 @@ def execute_with_io(command: List[str], timeout: int = 3600, interactive: bool =
             if r == '\n':
                 logger.debug('STDOUT: %s', line[:-1])
                 line = ''
-            elif r == ']':
-                if line == ':: Proceed with installation? [Y/n]':
-                    p.stdin.write('y\n')
-                    p.stdin.flush()
-                elif line.lower().endswith('[y/n]'):
-                    if interactive:
-                        choice = ask_interactive_question(line, info=output)
-                        if choice is None:
-                            terminate(p, signal=SIGINT)
-                            raise UnknownQuestionError(line, output)
-                        elif choice:
-                            p.stdin.write('y\n')
-                            p.stdin.flush()
-                        else:
-                            p.stdin.write('n\n')
-                            p.stdin.flush()
-                    else:
+            if line == ':: Proceed with installation? [Y/n]':
+                p.stdin.write('y\n')
+                p.stdin.flush()
+            elif line.lower().endswith('[y/n]') or line == 'Enter a number (default=1): ':
+                if interactive:
+                    choice = ask_interactive_question(line, info=output)
+                    if choice is None:
                         terminate(p, signal=SIGINT)
                         raise UnknownQuestionError(line, output)
+                    elif choice:
+                        p.stdin.write(f"{choice}\n")
+                        p.stdin.flush()
+                else:
+                    terminate(p, signal=SIGINT)
+                    raise UnknownQuestionError(line, output)
     except KeyboardInterrupt:
         terminate(p, signal=SIGINT)
         raise
@@ -106,19 +108,17 @@ def back_readline(fp: BinaryIO) -> Iterator[str]:
         pos = next
     yield blines.pop(-1).decode('utf-8')
 
-def ask_interactive_question(question: str = "", timeout: int = 60, info: str = "") -> Union[bool, None]:
+def ask_interactive_question(question: str = "", timeout: int = 60, info: str = "") -> Union[str, None]:
     ''' on timeout, returns None '''
-    print(f"Please answer this question in {timeout} seconds:\n{question}", end=' ', flush=True)
+    if info:
+        print(info)
+    print(f"Please answer this question in {timeout} seconds:\n{question}", end='', flush=True)
     while True:
         read_ready, _, _ = select([stdin], list(), list(), timeout)
         if not read_ready:
             return None
         choice = read_ready[0].readline().strip()
-        if choice.lower().startswith('y'):
-            return True
-        elif choice.lower().startswith('n'):
-            return False
+        if choice:
+            return choice
         else:
-            if info and choice.lower().startswith('i'):
-                print(info)
-            print(f"Please give an explicit answer [Y]es [N]o{' [I]nfo' if info else ''}", end=' ', flush=True)
+            print('Please give an explicit answer: ', end='', flush=True)