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Read an SSH Channel with a Byte Threshold

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Demonstrates the Chilkat Ssh.ChannelReadAndPoll2 method, which works like ChannelReadAndPoll but also returns once newly processed data brings the total buffered data to or above a byte threshold. The arguments are the channel number, the poll timeout, and the threshold.

The integer return value is -1 on error, -2 if nothing arrived before the timeout, 0 if EOF or channel close was processed, or — when greater than 0 — the total bytes currently buffered for the channel (not the bytes newly received by this call).

Background: The threshold makes it practical to stream large output in manageable chunks instead of buffering an entire multi-megabyte result. Treat it as a return threshold, not a hard cap: a complete SSH packet is buffered as a unit, so the amount returned can exceed what you asked for. Data already buffered before the call does not by itself trigger an immediate return.

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Local $bSuccess = False

;  Demonstrates the Ssh.ChannelReadAndPoll2 method, which works like ChannelReadAndPoll but also
;  returns once the total buffered data reaches or exceeds a byte threshold.  The 1st argument is
;  the channel number, the 2nd is the poll timeout, and the 3rd is the byte threshold.

$oSsh = ObjCreate("Chilkat.Ssh")

Local $iSshPort = 22
$bSuccess = $oSsh.Connect("ssh.example.com",$iSshPort)
If ($bSuccess = False) Then
    ConsoleWrite($oSsh.LastErrorText & @CRLF)
    Exit
EndIf

;  Normally you would not hard-code the password in source.  You should instead obtain it
;  from an interactive prompt, environment variable, or a secrets vault.
Local $sPassword = "mySshPassword"

$bSuccess = $oSsh.AuthenticatePw("mySshLogin",$sPassword)
If ($bSuccess = False) Then
    ConsoleWrite($oSsh.LastErrorText & @CRLF)
    Exit
EndIf

Local $iChannelNum = $oSsh.OpenSessionChannel()
If ($iChannelNum < 0) Then
    ConsoleWrite($oSsh.LastErrorText & @CRLF)
    Exit
EndIf

;  Start a shell WITHOUT requesting a PTY.  Without a PTY the shell sees it is connected to a
;  raw data pipe and enters non-interactive mode: it suppresses the command prompt, does not
;  echo typed commands back, and skips interactive login scripts.  The output is therefore
;  clean and easily parseable -- but because no prompt is ever sent, code must not wait for
;  one.  Instead, have each command print a predictable marker, or wait for EOF / channel close.
$bSuccess = $oSsh.SendReqShell($iChannelNum)
If ($bSuccess = False) Then
    ConsoleWrite($oSsh.LastErrorText & @CRLF)
    Exit
EndIf

$bSuccess = $oSsh.ChannelSendString($iChannelNum,"cat /var/log/syslog" & @LF,"utf-8")
If ($bSuccess = False) Then
    ConsoleWrite($oSsh.LastErrorText & @CRLF)
    Exit
EndIf

;  Return when output goes quiet for 500ms, or once about 64KB has been buffered.  The
;  threshold is not a hard buffer limit -- a whole SSH packet may push the total above it.
Local $iPollTimeoutMs = 500
Local $iMaxNumBytes = 65536
;  The return value is: -1 on error, -2 if nothing arrived before the timeout, 0 if EOF or
;  channel close was processed, or the total number of buffered bytes when greater than 0.
Local $iResult = $oSsh.ChannelReadAndPoll2($iChannelNum,$iPollTimeoutMs,$iMaxNumBytes)
If ($iResult = -1) Then
    ConsoleWrite($oSsh.LastErrorText & @CRLF)
    Exit
EndIf

If ($iResult = -2) Then
    ConsoleWrite("No channel data arrived before the timeout." & @CRLF)
EndIf

If ($iResult = 0) Then
    ConsoleWrite("EOF or channel close was processed.  Buffered data may still remain." & @CRLF)
EndIf

If ($iResult > 0) Then
    ConsoleWrite("Total bytes buffered: " & $iResult & @CRLF)
EndIf

Local $sOutput = $oSsh.GetReceivedText($iChannelNum,"utf-8")
If ($oSsh.LastMethodSuccess = False) Then
    ConsoleWrite($oSsh.LastErrorText & @CRLF)
    Exit
EndIf

ConsoleWrite($sOutput & @CRLF)

$oSsh.Disconnect