Highlights:
- reads the .ssh/config to present target hosts
- only connects on first data send
- can switch target hosts through
msg.sshshostparameter
feedback is apprechiated
Is there a reason you didn't use 'node-red-contrib...' in the name?
What makes it different from the other ssh nodes?
The new guidelines dont insist on node-red-contrib-xxx format. The preferred format is a scoped name. see Introducing the Node Scorecard : Node-RED 
Yes, but it does recommend, or at least suggest, including node-red in the name
"If you use a scoped name, there are no further requirements on the name. You could use @myScope/node-red-sample or just @myScope/sample - although having node-red in the name does help to associate the module with the project."
I know it's not required but if I were looking for a SSH node via google I'd use 'Node-red ssh' and that node is not going to be on the first page of results. I like having node-red-contrib... as part of the name, it allows me to find things easily.
Just my opinion.
Indeed & why i linked to the docs.
My comment was more about the question Paul asked...
... in particular the -contrib part.
I dont completely disagree (minus the contrib part).
For future custom nodes I do - I personally intend on keeping the node-red part (dropping the contrib part)
1 Like
That is my intention also.
Naming has benn discussed... now to the differences:
- Ability to pick an SSH hostname from ~/.ssh/config, effectively abstracting it away from the flow
- Support for SSH keys when using a host from config
- Password classified as credential (so properly encrypted)
- Connection only gets established when actually data is sent
- Abillity to change the hostname through a value in msg
We use this as configuration mechanism for servers out in our farms. An operator (or an event) picks a farm from a list and sends commands. So instead of requiring one node per farm and resulting n open connections, we only need one that opens when needed
Installed the node on my Mac Mini M1 and imported the example flow. As soon as I deploy I get:
Flows stopped due to missing node types.
* ssh-exec
Thoughts?
UPDATE: I went to remove the node and see this
It would be nice to see that somewhere else than when trying to remove the node...
maybe allow the location to be customizable as on the Mac it is .ssh/known_hosts
Ahhh nice catch. I'll add a check fo that file. .ssh/known_hosts serves a different purpose than .ssh/config, don't confuse the two. I develop on Mac & Linux an the file you want is .ssh/config
.ssh/config
Host git fortress
Hostname github.com
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/gitkey_stwissel
User Stwissel
Port 22
IdentitiesOnly yes
(not all entries are needed)
.ssh/known_hosts
github.com ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIOMqqnkVzrm0SdG6UOoqKLsabgH5C9okWi0dh2l9GKJl
0.3.1 with file check is out
I've created the .ssh/config file and from a terminal on the Mac it works fine, I can access on of my local pi's with
paul@PaulsM1 ~ % ssh yellowpi
Linux yellowpi 5.10.103-v7+ #1529 SMP Tue Mar 8 12:21:37 GMT 2022 armv7l
The programs included with the Debian GNU/Linux system are free software;
the exact distribution terms for each program are described in the
individual files in /usr/share/doc/*/copyright.
Debian GNU/Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent
permitted by applicable law.
Last login: Thu Aug 31 13:53:25 2023 from 2600:4040:5b24:4d00:988d:7b3:db83:5a73
pi@yellowpi:~ $ ls -al
total 322700
drwxr-xr-x 20 pi pi 4096 Aug 31 13:42 .
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 May 7 2021 ..
-rw------- 1 pi pi 17489 Aug 31 13:57 .bash_history
-rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 220 May 7 2021 .bash_logout
-rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 3523 May 7 2021 .bashrc
drwxr-xr-x 2 pi pi 4096 May 7 2021 Bookshelf
- So I installed the latest version of your node and it shows 'yellow' in the
ssh Configbut why does it require the password when it is in the.ssh/config? Isn't that one of the purposes of the config file? - if I put in the password it remains disconnected
- if I use
manual Host configurationit works but outputs odd characters
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 May 7 2021 e[01;34m..e[0m
-rw------- 1 pi pi 17500 Aug 31 14:08 .bash_history
-rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 220 May 7 2021 .bash_logout
-rw-r--r-- 1 pi pi 3523 May 7 2021 .bashrc
drwxr-xr-x 2 pi pi 4096 May 7 2021 e[01;34mBookshelfe[0m
The "odd characters" are control characters send by your SSH connection. Your terminal converts them into the colors you see. The ssh-node doesn't have a UI, so no conversion is happening, it's just the raw output.
For passwords: I don't store them in config, since they are there in clear text. Credentials in NodeRED are encrypted, so it felt safer.
On your problem: did you have a user/password connection or did you use a key file? I've mostly tested with key files. Any chance you see the potential error in the log?
I suggest you change your sample flow to use
ls --color=never -al
======================
I use a IdentityFile
Host yellowpi
HostName yellowpi.local
User pi
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa
======================
But my question is: in the node, why do I have to supply the password in the first place? Doesn't that defeat the purpose of creating a .ssh/config file?
======================
In addition how do I dynamically swap ssh hosts if I need to supply a password when it isn't documented in the the Help?
Currently if I set the node to manual Host configuration for yellowpi and include the password I can get data back. If I then set an inject node to include msg.sshhost when I run it I get
errMsg: Error: All configured authentication methods failed
host: undefined
[UPDATE - 2022-09-06
] I've started opening issues in GitHub about some of these problems.
Thx appreciate it. I’ll look at it on the weekend
