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CkPython

Start a Remote Shell with QuickShell

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Demonstrates the Chilkat Ssh.QuickShell method, which starts a remote shell using the simplified sequence OpenSessionChannelSendReqPtySendReqShell. It takes no arguments and returns the shell channel number, or -1 on failure. The default PTY size is 80 columns by 24 rows.

Background: Note that QuickShell does allocate a PTY, so unlike a bare SendReqShell the remote shell runs interactively: it prints a command prompt, echoes the commands you send, and runs interactive login scripts. That is convenient for terminal-style work but means the output contains prompts and echoed input that scripted parsing must tolerate. The method returns as soon as the shell request is accepted — it does not consume the initial login text or prompt, so read and discard that before relying on command output.

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CkPython
import sys
import chilkat

success = False

#  Demonstrates the Ssh.QuickShell method, which starts a remote shell using the simplified
#  sequence OpenSessionChannel, SendReqPty, and SendReqShell.  It takes no arguments and returns
#  the shell channel number, or -1 on failure.  The default PTY size is 80 columns by 24 rows.

ssh = chilkat.CkSsh()

sshPort = 22
success = ssh.Connect("ssh.example.com",sshPort)
if (success == False):
    print(ssh.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

#  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.
password = "mySshPassword"

success = ssh.AuthenticatePw("mySshLogin",password)
if (success == False):
    print(ssh.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

#  Start the shell.  Note that QuickShell allocates a PTY, so the remote shell runs
#  interactively: it prints a command prompt and echoes the commands that are sent to it.
channelNum = ssh.QuickShell()
if (channelNum < 0):
    print(ssh.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

#  QuickShell returns as soon as the shell request is accepted -- it does not wait for or
#  consume the initial login text or prompt.
success = ssh.ChannelSendString(channelNum,"uname -a; echo DONE_MARKER\n","utf-8")
if (success == False):
    print(ssh.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

#  IMPORTANT: Set a read timeout before receiving until a match.  ReadTimeoutMs defaults to 0,
#  which means no limit -- without it, this call waits forever if the received data never
#  contains a match.
ssh.put_ReadTimeoutMs(15000)

caseSensitive = False
success = ssh.ChannelReceiveUntilMatch(channelNum,"DONE_MARKER","utf-8",caseSensitive)
if (success == False):
    print(ssh.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

output = ssh.getReceivedText(channelNum,"utf-8")
if (ssh.get_LastMethodSuccess() == False):
    print(ssh.lastErrorText())
    sys.exit()

print(output)

ssh.Disconnect()