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Lua

SSH Quick/Simple Shell Session

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Demonstrates the simplified way to run multiple commands in a shell session using QuickShell, which combines OpenSessionChannel, SendReqPty, and SendReqShell into one call. The commands are built in a StringBuilder, sent together, and the output is read up to a marker echoed by the final command.

Background: Note that QuickShell does allocate a PTY, so the remote shell runs interactively: it prints a prompt and echoes back every command sent to it, and both the echo and the real output appear in what is received. That is what motivates the quoting trick on the final marker — writing echo THIS 'IS' THE END means the echoed command line contains the quotes while the command's actual output does not, so matching the unquoted text reliably matches the real output instead of the echo. For clean, prompt-free output, request a shell without a PTY instead.

Chilkat Lua Downloads

Lua
local chilkat = require("chilkat")

-- This example requires the Chilkat API to have been previously unlocked.
-- See Global Unlock Sample for sample code.

-- Demonstrates the simplified way to run multiple commands in a shell session using QuickShell.
--
-- Note: QuickShell internally does OpenSessionChannel, SendReqPty, and SendReqShell, so it DOES
-- allocate a pseudo-terminal.  The remote shell therefore runs interactively: it prints a
-- command prompt and echoes back the commands that are sent to it.  Both the echoed input and
-- the real output appear in what is received.

local ssh = chilkat.Ssh.new()

local port = 22
local success = ssh:connect("ssh.example.com", port)
if not success then
    print(ssh.last_error_text)
    return
end

-- 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.
local password = "mySshPassword"

success = ssh:authenticate_pw("mySshLogin", password)
if not success then
    print(ssh.last_error_text)
    return
end

-- Start the shell session.  A negative return value indicates failure.
local channelNum = ssh:quick_shell()
if channelNum < 0 then
    print(ssh.last_error_text)
    return
end

-- Build the commands, one per line.  Line endings matter: Unix/Linux servers typically expect
-- a bare LF, while Windows servers may require CRLF.
local sbCommands = chilkat.StringBuilder.new()
sbCommands:append("echo hello world\n")
sbCommands:append("date\n")
sbCommands:append("df\n")

-- The final command echoes a marker used to detect the end of the output.  The single quotes
-- around 'IS' are a trick: the terminal echo of the typed command includes the quotes, while
-- the command's actual output does not.  Matching the unquoted form therefore matches the real
-- output rather than the echo.
sbCommands:append("echo THIS 'IS' THE END OF THE SCRIPT\n")

local commands = sbCommands:get_as_string()
success = ssh:channel_send_string(channelNum, commands, "utf-8")
if not success then
    print(ssh.last_error_text)
    return
end

-- 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.read_timeout_ms = 15000

local caseSensitive = true
success = ssh:channel_receive_until_match(channelNum, "THIS IS THE END OF THE SCRIPT", "utf-8", caseSensitive)
if not success then
    print(ssh.last_error_text)
    return
end

-- Indicate that no more commands will be sent, then close the channel.  Close only after the
-- desired output has been received.
success = ssh:channel_send_eof(channelNum)
if not success then
    print(ssh.last_error_text)
    return
end

success = ssh:channel_send_close(channelNum)
if not success then
    print(ssh.last_error_text)
    return
end

-- Collect any remaining output.
success = ssh:channel_receive_to_close(channelNum)
if not success then
    print(ssh.last_error_text)
    return
end

local sessionOutput = ssh:get_received_text(channelNum, "utf-8")
if not ssh.last_method_success then
    print(ssh.last_error_text)
    return
end

print("--- output ----")
print(sessionOutput)

ssh:disconnect()