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Xojo Plugin

Run a Command on an SSH Session Channel

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Demonstrates the Chilkat Ssh.SendReqExec method, which requests execution of a command on a session channel. The first argument is the channel number and the second is the command line. This example runs a command, reads the output until the channel closes, and prints it.

Background: exec is the workhorse for automation: run one command, collect its output, and finish — no interactive shell needed. Note carefully that a true return means the request was accepted, not that the command succeeded. To learn the command's outcome, read its output and check the channel exit status.

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Dim success As Boolean
success = False

//  Demonstrates the Ssh.SendReqExec method, which requests execution of a command on a session
//  channel.  The 1st argument is the channel number and the 2nd is the command line.

Dim ssh As New Chilkat.Ssh

Dim sshPort As Int32
sshPort = 22
success = ssh.Connect("ssh.example.com",sshPort)
If (success = False) Then
    System.DebugLog(ssh.LastErrorText)
    Return
End If

//  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.
Dim password As String
password = "mySshPassword"

success = ssh.AuthenticatePw("mySshLogin",password)
If (success = False) Then
    System.DebugLog(ssh.LastErrorText)
    Return
End If

//  Open a session channel.  A negative return value indicates failure.
Dim channelNum As Int32
channelNum = ssh.OpenSessionChannel()
If (channelNum < 0) Then
    System.DebugLog(ssh.LastErrorText)
    Return
End If

//  Request execution of a command.  A 1 return means the server accepted the request; it
//  does not mean the command itself succeeded.
success = ssh.SendReqExec(channelNum,"ls -l /tmp")
If (success = False) Then
    System.DebugLog(ssh.LastErrorText)
    Return
End If

//  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.
ssh.ReadTimeoutMs = 15000

//  Read the command output until the server closes the channel.
success = ssh.ChannelReceiveToClose(channelNum)
If (success = False) Then
    System.DebugLog(ssh.LastErrorText)
    Return
End If

Dim output As String
output = ssh.GetReceivedText(channelNum,"utf-8")
If (ssh.LastMethodSuccess = False) Then
    System.DebugLog(ssh.LastErrorText)
    Return
End If

System.DebugLog(output)

ssh.Disconnect