Remote-work

Seamless working via ssh as if running locally.

• Each new terminal tab connects automatically to the server and runs within its own screen, so native scrolling and searching works
• Remote files can be opened from within the ssh session with your local text editor (or any other app)
• ssh X11-forwarding is stabilized, even during days-lasting screen-sessions
• Transparent handling of connection-dropouts - all terminal-tabs reconnect automatically

Usage

• Place the following into your local bashrc

  source /$PATH_TO/remote-work/SOURCE_ME.bash
  

• Setup the ssh-alias as usual (~/.ssh/config). To open new tabs faster, ssh multiplexing can be enabled, i.e.:

  Host ssh_alias
      Hostname example.host.com
      User your_user
      ControlPath ~/.ssh/controlmasters/%r@%h:%p
      ControlMaster auto
      ControlPersist 10m
  

• copy your public key to the server, e.g., by
  ssh-copy-id ssh_alias. remote-work does not support logins by password!

• Deploy remote-work onto the server (only necessary once):

  remote-deploy ssh_alias --add-to-rc
  

  That command also adds the following code to the remote bashrc:

  source ~/.remote-work/SOURCE_ME.bash
  

  If you ommit --add-to-rc, bashrc is not modified but you'll have to add the code yourself. Further, a default .screenrc is deployed if none exists. If you already had one, native scrolling can be enabled by placing the following to the remote screenrc

  termcapinfo xterm* ti@:te@
  scrollback 30000
  defscrollback 30000
  startup_message off
  

• Start remote work using the terminal emulator of your choice ( by default konsole is used) . Arguments after
  --terminal are passed as is, gnome-terminal must be launched with --wait, otherwise X11 forwarding and opening of remote files won't work (the script waits for the terminal to close and then cleans up). The same applies to tilix - use tilix --new-process here.

  remote-start-work ssh_alias --terminal gnome-terminal --wait
  

  Now, every new terminal tab ssh-connects immediately and fires up a screen.

• Configure some apps to open remote files locally (via sshfs). Add apps by placing the following code to the remote bashrc

  REMOTE_EXEC_PRODUCER_ADD_APPS app1 app2 # e.g. geany evince libreoffice
  

  Delete them by calling

  REMOTE_EXEC_PRODUCER_DELETE_APPS app1 app2
  

• Terminal tabs are named ascending, e.g. s1. To quickly enter the remote working directory of the first screen, call cdscreen 1.

• Remote files are usually mounted via sshfs at /run/user/$UID/net-$USER/ssh_alias. After launching remote-start-work, look for the output "using mount-dir" .... To launch only a terminal (without ssh support), call remote-konsole ssh_alias instead.

Advanced Usage

• Nested ssh-sessions: in the case of multiple machines in the LAN of the server, nested ssh-sessions are not uncommon. To jump right to the same working directory when ssh-ing to a machine, where the same home-directory is mounted (e.g. via NFS), place the following function into the remote bashrc:

  ssh(){
      # execute another remote_screen with the same session name, so we use the
      # same working directory when ssh'ing to the next host.
      # Do this, however, only when we no commands are executed (i.e. only one non-dash arg exists).
      # Note that this only works if arguments are passed as one string, so
      # use e.g. »-p222« instead of »-p 222«
      local n_none_dash_args=0 arg
      for arg in "$@"; do
          [[ "$arg" != -* ]] && ((++n_none_dash_args))
      done
      if [[ -n "${REMOTE_SCREEN_NUMBER+x}" && $n_none_dash_args -eq 1 ]]; then
          command ssh "$@" -t "source ~/.remote-work/SOURCE_ME.bash && remote_screen $REMOTE_SCREEN_NUMBER"
      else
          command ssh "$@"
      fi
  }
  

  Note that X11 forwarding does not work in nested ssh-sessions.
• Use remote-work without launching a terminal by
  remote-start-work ssh_alias --no-konsole

Requirements

Local:

sudo apt install rsync sshfs

Remote (typically already installed on a server):

sudo apt install rsync screen

License

The project is licensed under the GPL, v3 or later (see LICENSE file for details)