Linux Remote Shell Notes

ssh - SSH works by connecting a client program to an ssh server.

The developer folks hated the "service" command so now we use the new systemctl (System Control) method to start the ssh server daemon.

sudo systemctl start ssh

use SSH to execute a remote command

You'll need to be able to ssh with automated password or enter the password each time you run the command.

Execute a remote command on a host over SSH:

ssh nicolep@192.168.100.10 'reboot'

The example above will reboot the remote computer.

Multiple commands

ssh nicolep@192.168.100.10 'uptime; df -h'

Show the kernel version, number of CPUs and the total RAM:

ssh root@192.168.100.10 << EOF
uname -a
lscpu  | grep "^CPU(s)"
grep -i memtotal /proc/meminfo
EOF

Here is how Nicole can execute her script on the remote computer

ssh nicolep@192.168.100.10 'bash -s' < nicolejob.sh

Nicole's script is local on her machine, and she executed it on the remote host.

auto login ssh

The OpenSSH ssh utility doesn't accept a password on the command line or on its standard input. The nanny mentality whereby the developer protects us from ourselves by preventing us from doing something that compromises security, even though the result may be worse.

OPTIONS FOR SSH AUTOMATED

1. Use an SSH key for authentication, instead of a password.
2. Use sshpass, expect, or a similar tool to automate responding to the password prompt.
3. Use the SSH_ASKPASS feature to get ssh to get the password by running another program.
4. Use the insecure host-based authentication, sometimes common on private networks.
5. Use a custom or modified ssh client adapted from source code, or one that allows for stored password.

sshpass

Install the sshpass utility so that you can automate ssh login including password.

apt install sshpass

Now you can automate the login process

sshpass -p "mysecretpass" ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no nicolep@192.168.100.10

Custom port example:

sshpass -p "mysecretpass" ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no nicolep@192.168.100.10:9600

public key authentication

In the source host run this only once:

ssh-keygen -t rsa 

Now you've generated the public key. It needs to be copied onto the remote host.

ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub nicolep@192.168.100.10

add identities to the ssh-agent – the authentication agent on the local host.

ssh-add

now press ENTER to every field

ssh-copy-id nicolep@192.168.100.10

expect

Example script

#!/usr/bin/expect

set timeout 15

set cmd [lrange $argv 1 end]
set password [lindex $argv 0]

eval spawn $cmd
expect "assword:"
send "$password\r";
interact

Another example

#!/usr/bin/expect -f
#  ./ssh.exp password 192.168.100.10 id
set pass [lrange $argv 0 0]
set server [lrange $argv 1 1]
set name [lrange $argv 2 2]

spawn ssh $name@$server
match_max 100000
expect "*?assword:*"
send -- "$pass\r"
send -- "\r"
interact

And finally, a more elaborate example can be found here:

• http://www.techpaste.com/2016/02/ssh-login-with-password/

shells that don't die when connection is lost

The two most common solutions are "screen" and "tmux." Screen has been around longer, tmux has some additional capabilities, and both will keep your terminal session alive even if your connection is lost.

Screen - Virtual Terminals From Console

Multiple virtual terminals from one terminal (like a remote shell), with the ability to detach processes and leave them running even when you disconnect.

• Screen - Virtual Terminals From Console

tmux, the shell that doesn't die

tmux is a terminal multiplexer. It lets you switch easily between several programs in one terminal, detach them (they keep running in the background) and reattach them to a different terminal.

tmux may be detached from a screen and continue running in the background, then later reattached.

1. ssh into the remote machine
2. start tmux by typing tmux into the shell
3. start the process you want inside the started tmux session
4. leave/detach the tmux session by typing Ctrl+b and then d

The tmux and GNU screen utilities have many similarities. tmux is considered more modern.

Each session is persistent and will survive accidental disconnection (such as ssh(1) connection timeout) or intentional detaching (with the ‘C-b d’ key strokes). tmux may be reattached using:

tmux attach

Example tmux commands include:

refresh-client -t/dev/ttyp2 

rename-session -tfirst newname 

set-window-option -t:0 monitor-activity on 

new-window ; split-window -d 

bind-key R source-file ~/.tmux.conf \; \ 
	display-message "source-file done"

Or from sh(1):

tmux kill-window -t :1 

tmux new-window \; split-window -d 

tmux new-session -d 'vi /etc/passwd' \; split-window -d \; attach