NAME
rhost
- start a
ssh
session on a remote host in a new terminal window.
SYNOPSIS
rhost
[
-c
<config_file>
] [
-l
<login name>
]
[
-v
]
<hostname>
or
<hostname>
-l
<login_name>
] [
-v
]
AVAILABILITY
rhost
is a Bourne shell script which should work equally well on all versions of UNIX
and Linux.
DESCRIPTION
In the first form, using the command
rhost
, an X windows terminal session is started and a
ssh
session to the nominated remote host
<hostname>
is initiated.
In the second form
<host name>
is a symbolic link to the script
rhost
and the
basename
of the command is assumed to be a valid hostname.
In the event of no host name being set, an error message is printed
on
standard error
but the
ssh
session will attempt to connect to
localhost.
Before attempting the direct connection
rhost
will attempt to
ping
the remote host. If no route to the host is found
rhost
will look up the
hostid
in the default
vn-connect
configuration file and if it appears a
VPN
connection is required
rhost
will invoke
vn-connect
to establish a virtual network connection before proceeding.
The script is most useful when different background colours are used
for each host that is frequently accessed. Where an administrator is
servicing multiple clients several concurrent sessions that are
readily identifiable can be displayed. The virtual terminal will
be
xterm
by default but alternatives may be set in configuration file. Background and
foreground colours may also be set in the
config
file provided that application supports setting colours on the command line.
OPTIONS
-c
<configuration_file>
Use the named configuration file in preference to the default "
/usr/local/etc/rhost.cf
"
-l
<login_name>
The
ssh
will attempt to login with the username
<login_name> .
-v
Verbose mode, the script will run with the
-x
option set.
EXAMPLES
rhost -l william 10.0.0.3
Start a virtual terminal window with a
ssh
session to the host at 10.0.0.3. The virtual terminal background will be
yellow (see the example configuration file below), the text will use
the default "blue". Use the login name "william"
Start a virtual terminal window with a
ssh
session to the host "dougal" with white text on a dark blue background (see
the configuration file below). Use
the current effective user name as the login name for
ssh.
NB.
Foreground and background colours are set in the configuration file as in the
example below.
FILES
rhost.cf.
BUGS
The script has very little input error checking. Name resolution and
network availability is not checked. It is designed to be used
with frequently used host names where
ssh
keys have already been exchanged.
SEE ALSO
vn-connect.
AUTHOR
Clifford W Fulford, City Linux. Contact fulford@fulford.net or +44 (0)709 229 5385.
