Offloading Resource-Intensive Tasks to Raspberry Pi (or IoT Devices) Using SSH

This Python script empowers you to offload computationally intensive tasks to a Raspberry Pi or other IoT devices connected to your network, all via SSH. By utilizing this script, you can automate remote task execution and reduce the burden on your primary system.

Prerequisites

Before deploying this script, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

• Python 3.x
• paramiko library (install with pip install paramiko)
• dotenv library (install with pip install python-dotenv)
• SSH access to the target Raspberry Pi or IoT device with appropriate permissions

Setup

1. Clone this repository and navigate to the project directory.

2. Create a virtual environment (venv) to isolate project dependencies:

   python3 -m venv venv

3. Activate the virtual environment:

   • On macOS and Linux:

     source venv/bin/activate

   • On Windows:

     .\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

     OR

     .\venv\Scripts\activate.bat

4. Create a .env file within the project directory with the following structure:

   server=your_server_hostname
   port=your_ssh_port
   user=your_ssh_username
   password=your_ssh_password
   ssh_public_key=your_public_key_path  # (Only if using public key authentication; use forward slashes for paths on Windows)
   

   Replace your_server_hostname, your_ssh_port, your_ssh_username, your_ssh_password, and your_public_key_path with the actual server details and authentication methods for your Raspberry Pi or IoT device. On Windows, use forward slashes (/) in the ssh_public_key path.

5. Install the required packages from requirements.txt:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

Standalone Python Script

Execute the script from the command line, specifying the desired command and its arguments:

python3 run.py -b <base command> -a <arguments> [-s] [-n] [-p]

• -b <base command>: The core command you wish to execute remotely (e.g., python, ffmpeg, curl).
• -a <arguments>: Additional arguments or options to accompany the base command.

Optional Flags:

• -s or --save-output-remote: Save the command output to a file on the remote device.
• -n or --no-output-local: Do not display the output in the terminal (useful for background tasks).
• -p or --use-public-key-remote: Use public key authentication for the SSH connection (requires specifying ssh_public_key in the .env file).

This will run the my_script.py Python script on the Raspberry Pi or IoT device and display the output.

Flask app

From the root project directory simply run the command:

python3 ./flask_app/app.py

Features

• SSH Connectivity: The script securely establishes an SSH connection with the remote Raspberry Pi or IoT device.

• Command Verification: It checks if the specified base command is available on the target device before execution.

• Remote Execution: Offload compute-intensive tasks to the remote device, freeing up resources on your primary system.

Note

• Ensure that you possess valid SSH access rights and permissions for command execution on the Raspberry Pi or IoT device.

• Exercise caution when utilizing this script, especially with potentially resource-intensive tasks, to avoid overloading the remote device.

Feel encouraged to contribute to this project or report any encountered issues.