Python module pexpect - how to connect to ssh server and then run bash commands

Question

I'm new and I couldn't find a full answer to my question. So I'm asking it here. I'm using python and the pexpect module to connect to an ssh server and run a few commands. However some of the commands don't work. I looked at the documentation and I can see that running a command like:

ls -l | grep -i <Filter>

Because I have to use the spawn command to run the bash script with a

child = pexpect.spawn('/bin/bash -c "ls -l | grep LOG > logs.txt"')

However, the way I connect to the server is by sending an ssh command with a key:

p = pexpect.spawn("ssh -t -t NAME@IP -i ~/.ssh/Keyfile ")

So I can't run the spawn command with the bash command inside it (or can I?)

The response should be a password request because its re-directing me to another machine.

How do I use the spawn command so I can connect to the server with the key enter the password for the re-directed machine and then run a bash command.

Note: I'm trying to figure out the bash part. The Connection to the server and the re-direction + password insertion already work for me.

James Jithin · Accepted Answer · 2017-04-02 13:43:01Z

2

You may send the command in the next line:

ssh = pexpect.spawn('ssh  -t -t NAME@IP -i ~/.ssh/Keyfile')
#You may write expect here to check if the ask if for password or some other error or the initial banner message
ssh.sendline('password')
#You may check if the password is successful
ssh.sendline('/bin/bash -c "ls -l | grep LOG > logs.txt"');

answered Apr 2, 2017 at 13:43

James Jithin

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Steven Over a year ago

Thanks i dont know why this obvious solution did not come to me :) Also note that i tried this on an android device too where there is no /bin/bash but rather bin/sh i had to state bin was located system so the result would be ssh.sendline('system/bin/sh -c "ls -l | grep LOG > logs.txt"'); if anyone is intrested

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