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Set an Environment Variable on an SSH Channel

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Demonstrates the Chilkat Ssh.SendReqSetEnv method, which asks the server to set an environment variable for a session channel. The arguments are the channel number, the variable name, and its value. Send these requests before the exec, shell, or subsystem request.

Background: This is the clean way to pass configuration to a remote command without embedding it in the command line. Be aware that many SSH servers restrict which variables clients may set (OpenSSH's AcceptEnv), so a request can be silently ignored or rejected — do not rely on it without verifying the server's policy.

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llSuccess = .F.

//  Demonstrates the Ssh.SendReqSetEnv method, which asks the server to set an environment
//  variable for a session channel.  The 1st argument is the channel number, the 2nd is the
//  variable name, and the 3rd is its value.  Send it before the exec, shell, or subsystem
//  request.

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

//  Open a session channel.  A negative return value indicates failure.
lnChannelNum = loSsh.OpenSessionChannel()
if (lnChannelNum < 0) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
endif

//  Set environment variables for the channel.  Multiple variables may be requested.
llSuccess = loSsh.SendReqSetEnv(lnChannelNum,"LANG","en_US.UTF-8")
if (llSuccess = .F.) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
endif

llSuccess = loSsh.SendReqSetEnv(lnChannelNum,"MY_APP_MODE","production")
if (llSuccess = .F.) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
endif

//  Now run the command, which sees the requested environment.
llSuccess = loSsh.SendReqExec(lnChannelNum,"echo $MY_APP_MODE")
if (llSuccess = .F.) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
endif

//  IMPORTANT: Set a read timeout.  ReadTimeoutMs defaults to 0, which means no limit -- without
//  it, this call waits forever if the server never sends channel close.
loSsh.ReadTimeoutMs = 15000

llSuccess = loSsh.ChannelReceiveToClose(lnChannelNum)
if (llSuccess = .F.) then
    ? loSsh.LastErrorText
    release loSsh
    return
endif

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

? lcOutput

loSsh.Disconnect()


release loSsh