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Read an SSH Channel with a Byte Threshold

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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llSuccess = .F.

//  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.

loSsh = createobject("CkSsh")

lnSshPort = 22
llSuccess = loSsh.Connect("ssh.example.com",lnSshPort)
if (llSuccess = .F.) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
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.
lcPassword = "mySshPassword"

llSuccess = loSsh.AuthenticatePw("mySshLogin",lcPassword)
if (llSuccess = .F.) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
endif

lnChannelNum = loSsh.OpenSessionChannel()
if (lnChannelNum < 0) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
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.
llSuccess = loSsh.SendReqShell(lnChannelNum)
if (llSuccess = .F.) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
endif

llSuccess = loSsh.ChannelSendString(lnChannelNum,"cat /var/log/syslog" + Chr(10),"utf-8")
if (llSuccess = .F.) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
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.
lnPollTimeoutMs = 500
lnMaxNumBytes = 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.
lnResult = loSsh.ChannelReadAndPoll2(lnChannelNum,lnPollTimeoutMs,lnMaxNumBytes)
if (lnResult = -1) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
endif

if (lnResult = -2) then
    ? "No channel data arrived before the timeout."
endif

if (lnResult = 0) then
    ? "EOF or channel close was processed.  Buffered data may still remain."
endif

if (lnResult > 0) then
    ? "Total bytes buffered: " + str(lnResult)
endif

lcOutput = loSsh.GetReceivedText(lnChannelNum,"utf-8")
if (loSsh.LastMethodSuccess = .F.) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
endif

? lcOutput

loSsh.Disconnect()


release loSsh