How to Create A Custom Ssh Shell In Elixir?

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To create a custom SSH shell in Elixir, you can use the 'sshex' library which provides an easy way to establish an SSH connection and interact with a remote server. First, you need to add the 'sshex' library to your project by including it in your mix.exs file. Next, you can use the functions provided by 'sshex' to establish an SSH connection, authenticate with the remote server, and execute commands on the server. You can also create a custom shell by implementing a loop that reads user input, sends commands to the remote server, and displays the output. Additionally, you can handle errors and exceptions that may occur during the SSH session to ensure a smooth user experience. With these steps, you can create a custom SSH shell in Elixir for interacting with remote servers.


How to install the SSH library in Elixir?

To install the SSH library in Elixir, you can use the :ssh package provided by Erlang. To include it in your project, you need to add it as a dependency in your mix.exs file.

  1. Open your project's mix.exs file and add :ssh to the list of dependencies in the defp deps function:
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defp deps do
  [
    {:ssh, "~> 4.9"}
  ]
end


  1. Run mix deps.get in your project directory to fetch and compile the new dependency.
  2. You can now use the SSH library in your Elixir code by requiring the necessary modules. For example, to connect to an SSH server, you can use the :ssh module and functions like :ssh.connect/3.


Here is an example of connecting to an SSH server using the SSH library in Elixir:

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{:ok, conn} = :ssh.connect("hostname", 22, [:user, :password])
{:ok, ref} = :ssh.exec(conn, "ls -l")
:ssh.close(conn)


Remember to replace "hostname", 22, :user, and :password with your own server details.


That's it! You have successfully installed and used the SSH library in Elixir.


How to customize the prompt in an SSH shell in Elixir?

To customize the prompt in an SSH shell in Elixir, you can set the prompt option when starting an SSH session using the :ssh.start function. Here is an example of how you can customize the prompt in Elixir:

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{:ok, conn} = :ssh.start_link("hostname", user: "username", prompt: "> ")


In this example, the prompt in the SSH shell will be set to > . You can customize the prompt to any string you want. Just replace "> " with the desired prompt.


Alternatively, you can also set the :prompt option when using the :ssh.shell function to start an interactive SSH shell session:

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:ssh.shell(conn, prompt: "> ")


This will start an interactive shell session with the specified prompt.


How to authenticate users in an SSH shell in Elixir?

To authenticate users in an SSH shell in Elixir, you can use the :ssh module from the Erlang standard library. Here is an example of how you can authenticate users using password-based authentication:

  1. Start by adding the :ssh library as a dependency in your mix.exs file:
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defp deps do
  [
    {:ssh, "~> 0.4"}
  ]
end


  1. Next, you can create a function that authenticates users using a password. Here is an example implementation:
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defmodule SSHAuth do
  def authenticate_user(host, port, username, password) do
    case :ssh.connect(host, port) do
      {:ok, conn} ->
        case :ssh_session.start_session(conn, [user: username, password: password]) do
          {:ok, _pid} ->
            :ssh_session.close_session(conn)
            :ssh:close(conn)
            {:ok, "Authentication successful"}
          {:error, reason} ->
            :ssh:close(conn)
            {:error, reason}
        end
      {:error, reason} ->
        {:error, reason}
    end
  end
end


  1. You can then call the authenticate_user function with the appropriate parameters to authenticate a user using a password:
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SSHAuth.authenticate_user("localhost", 22, "username", "password")


This is a basic example of how you can authenticate users in an SSH shell using Elixir. Keep in mind that there are other authentication methods available, such as public key authentication, which you can implement in a similar way.


What is the OpenSSH project?

The OpenSSH project is a free and open-source implementation of the SSH protocol, which provides encrypted secure network communication. It is primarily used for connecting securely to remote servers for tasks such as file transfers, remote command execution, and tunneling of network connections. OpenSSH is maintained by a team of developers and is widely used in the Unix/Linux community.


What is the default port for SSH connections?

The default port for SSH connections is port 22.


What is the difference between an SSH shell and an SSH connection?

An SSH shell is a command-line interface that allows a user to interact with a remote server using the Secure Shell protocol. It provides a way for users to execute commands, transfer files, and manage files and directories on a remote server.


An SSH connection, on the other hand, is the secure link established between a client (such as a computer or smartphone) and a server using the SSH protocol. This connection allows for secure data communication and remote access to the server.


In summary, an SSH shell is the interface through which a user interacts with a remote server, while an SSH connection is the secure link that enables communication between the client and server.

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