Tcl

SSH Exec (Execute Command Line)

Demonstrates running a single command on an SSH server with an exec request and retrieving its output. The example connects, authenticates, opens a session channel, sends the command, reads until the server closes the channel, and then checks the exit status.

Background: exec is the workhorse of SSH automation: it runs one command and the server closes the channel when the command exits, which is a definitive end-of-output signal. No PTY is involved, so the shell runs non-interactively — no prompt, no echoed input, no ANSI escape codes — giving clean, parseable output. Remember that an accepted exec request only means the request was accepted; the command's own success is reported through the channel exit status. Command syntax depends on the remote shell, which is the user's default shell on Linux/UNIX and usually CMD.EXE on Windows SSH servers.

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Tcl


load ./chilkat.dll

set success 0

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

#  Demonstrates running a single command on an SSH server with an exec request and retrieving
#  its output.  An exec request runs one command and the server closes the channel when it
#  finishes -- no PTY and no shell prompt are involved, so the output is clean and parseable.

set ssh [new_CkSsh]

#  The hostname may be a hostname or an IP address.
set hostname "ssh.example.com"
set port 22
set success [CkSsh_Connect $ssh $hostname $port]
if {$success == 0} then {
    puts [CkSsh_lastErrorText $ssh]
    delete_CkSsh $ssh
    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.
set password "mySshPassword"

set success [CkSsh_AuthenticatePw $ssh "mySshLogin" $password]
if {$success == 0} then {
    puts [CkSsh_lastErrorText $ssh]
    delete_CkSsh $ssh
    exit
}

#  Open a session channel.  Several session channels may be open at once on one connection.
set channelNum [CkSsh_OpenSessionChannel $ssh]
if {$channelNum < 0} then {
    puts [CkSsh_lastErrorText $ssh]
    delete_CkSsh $ssh
    exit
}

#  The command syntax depends on the remote system's shell.  On Linux/UNIX it is typically the
#  user's default shell; on Windows SSH servers it is usually CMD.EXE.
#    Linux/UNIX:  "ls -l /tmp"        or  "cd /etc; ls -la"
#    Windows:     "dir"               or  "\"cd \\temp&&dir\""
set success [CkSsh_SendReqExec $ssh $channelNum "ls -l /tmp"]
if {$success == 0} then {
    puts [CkSsh_lastErrorText $ssh]
    delete_CkSsh $ssh
    exit
}

#  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.
CkSsh_put_ReadTimeoutMs $ssh 15000

#  Read the output until the server sends channel close, which happens when the command exits.
set success [CkSsh_ChannelReceiveToClose $ssh $channelNum]
if {$success == 0} then {
    puts [CkSsh_lastErrorText $ssh]
    delete_CkSsh $ssh
    exit
}

set cmdOutput [CkSsh_getReceivedText $ssh $channelNum "utf-8"]
if {[CkSsh_get_LastMethodSuccess $ssh] == 0} then {
    puts [CkSsh_lastErrorText $ssh]
    delete_CkSsh $ssh
    exit
}

puts "$cmdOutput"

#  An accepted exec request does not mean the command succeeded.  Check the exit status.
if {CkSsh_ChannelReceivedExitStatus $ssh $channelNum} then {
    puts "Exit status: [CkSsh_GetChannelExitStatus $ssh $channelNum]"
}

CkSsh_Disconnect $ssh

delete_CkSsh $ssh