Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
Joel Finlinson wrote: > For Windows or Mac machines, I like and use www.teamviewer.com or > JoelOnSoftware's FogCreek https://www.copilot.com/ > > You guys are right, a Linux product/version would be great. No, I don't think this is what we're looking for. Already you can use VNC with the viewer in listen mode. This will bring in an entire screen graphically, which is often pretty slow. What we're looking for is a way to share a terminal command line session. I think it'd be slick to have something based on irc or something where we have the console split into a terminal on one part and a chat area on the other (all curses based of course). /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
On Thu, Apr 23, 2009 at 1:18 AM, Shane Hathaway wrote: > Michael Torrie wrote: > >> I'm looking for a solution like screen (maybe based on screen) for >> remote terminal sharing. But rather than logging into a remote machine >> where screen is already running and doing "screen -x" I want to have a >> system where someone running screen on the remote server connects out to >> my machine, letting me see what they are doing and work with them. This >> would let a person have me help them out with system administration >> tasks without having to have any passwords or any access at all normally >> to their systems. >> >> This is kind of analogous to running "vncviewer -listen" and having the >> vnc server add a connection. >> >> Does anyone have any ideas on how to accomplish this? Maybe I'd have to >> develop my own solution. I'd almost like a split screen with a chat >> portion. >> > > I *think* I need this too, so let me try to express what I need and > hopefully it's the same thing you need. > > Scenario: JJ Sysadmin is installing some piece of server software I wrote. > He's having some trouble and would like me to help, and I'm quite willing > to help. However, JJ is behind 3 NAT layers and an oppressive management > structure that absolutely forbids giving third parties any sort of password > for internal systems. > > It would be wonderful if I could set up some kind of server that JJ could > connect to, so he and I can work out the problem in a shared terminal > session. I can provide a password for him, but he can't provide any > password for me. JJ must be able to see every keystroke I type, and he must > have the power to disconnect me at any moment. > > The solution can be complex for me, but not for JJ, who is already > frustrated enough because he's being forced to use a dated version of some > so-called Enterprise Linux. > > JJ can connect to port 80 or 443 of most servers. *Maybe* port 22. He can > run Python, Perl, or Bash scripts, even as root if necessary. > > Is that what you need also? Screen might be part of the solution, but the > rest eludes me. There has to be something out there. If not, it needs to > be written. > > Shane For Windows or Mac machines, I like and use www.teamviewer.com or JoelOnSoftware's FogCreek https://www.copilot.com/ You guys are right, a Linux product/version would be great. JOEL /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
Shane Hathaway wrote: > Is that what you need also? Screen might be part of the solution, but > the rest eludes me. There has to be something out there. If not, it > needs to be written. Yes I think so. Here's one solution that's a bit convoluted but works: 1. You set up a screen session local to your own machine, reachable by JJ. 2. JJ runs this command (could be in the form a script) to ssh to your machine: ssh -R :someinternalserver:22 -l supportusername yoursupporthost screen -x 3. You use the tunnel to ssh back to his machine, and he can type the password for you. 4. Assist in setup This is a bit convoluted though, and may not be appropriate for JJ. For my purposes it would be fine, although maybe a bit slow (extra latency with 2 round-trips for every keystroke). Maybe I can modify kibitz to do what I want. Some kind of SSL-protected port. /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
Michael Torrie wrote: I'm looking for a solution like screen (maybe based on screen) for remote terminal sharing. But rather than logging into a remote machine where screen is already running and doing "screen -x" I want to have a system where someone running screen on the remote server connects out to my machine, letting me see what they are doing and work with them. This would let a person have me help them out with system administration tasks without having to have any passwords or any access at all normally to their systems. This is kind of analogous to running "vncviewer -listen" and having the vnc server add a connection. Does anyone have any ideas on how to accomplish this? Maybe I'd have to develop my own solution. I'd almost like a split screen with a chat portion. I *think* I need this too, so let me try to express what I need and hopefully it's the same thing you need. Scenario: JJ Sysadmin is installing some piece of server software I wrote. He's having some trouble and would like me to help, and I'm quite willing to help. However, JJ is behind 3 NAT layers and an oppressive management structure that absolutely forbids giving third parties any sort of password for internal systems. It would be wonderful if I could set up some kind of server that JJ could connect to, so he and I can work out the problem in a shared terminal session. I can provide a password for him, but he can't provide any password for me. JJ must be able to see every keystroke I type, and he must have the power to disconnect me at any moment. The solution can be complex for me, but not for JJ, who is already frustrated enough because he's being forced to use a dated version of some so-called Enterprise Linux. JJ can connect to port 80 or 443 of most servers. *Maybe* port 22. He can run Python, Perl, or Bash scripts, even as root if necessary. Is that what you need also? Screen might be part of the solution, but the rest eludes me. There has to be something out there. If not, it needs to be written. Shane /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
Michael Torrie wrote: > Hmm. How would this fit my original requirements? How can I "send" a > terminal session to a remote machine with this? I see how kibitz could > be used the other way around (remote kibitz connecting to a local one), > but that requires login credentials. Not quite what I'm looking for. Rather I mean that kibitz requires that I be able to connect to the machine I'm trying to interact with, rather than the other way around. When machines are behind a firewall, I simply could not reach them that way. Basically I'm looking for a shared-terminal version of what some people call reverse VNC where the "viewer" runs in listen mode, waiting for someone to initiate a connection from the "server" to the "viewer." /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
Chris wrote: > kibitz could hardly be easier to use--think "talk" and you're pretty much > there. One user types "kibitz buddyusername", which starts a new session > and sends a message to buddyusername's terminal telling him/her what kibitz > command to type to join the session. Once buddyusername types that command > into his/her shell, the two users are joined together in the kibitz session. Hmm. How would this fit my original requirements? How can I "send" a terminal session to a remote machine with this? I see how kibitz could be used the other way around (remote kibitz connecting to a local one), but that requires login credentials. Not quite what I'm looking for. > If there are any surprises surrounding kibitz, the primary one is that it's > not more widely known and used. It's one of those gems like xargs that is > supremely useful and yet still obscure. Agreed. There's also a program called "gems" that broadcasts a scree. It's not interactive though, and can't be used in quite the way I want either. /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 5:24 PM, Michael Torrie wrote: > Kibitz is pretty darn close... if only I could figure out how it > works... :) Will have to overcome my revulsion to tcl I guess. FWIW, the original kibitz was written in expect (which uses tcl under the covers), but you don't need to know a word of tcl to use it. kibitz could hardly be easier to use--think "talk" and you're pretty much there. One user types "kibitz buddyusername", which starts a new session and sends a message to buddyusername's terminal telling him/her what kibitz command to type to join the session. Once buddyusername types that command into his/her shell, the two users are joined together in the kibitz session. If there are any surprises surrounding kibitz, the primary one is that it's not more widely known and used. It's one of those gems like xargs that is supremely useful and yet still obscure. Chris /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
Chris wrote: > On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 8:46 AM, Michael Torrie wrote: > >> I'm looking for a solution like screen (maybe based on screen) for >> remote terminal sharing. > > > Sounds like you want kibitz. > > http://expect.nist.gov/example/kibitz.man.html Kibitz is pretty darn close... if only I could figure out how it works... :) Will have to overcome my revulsion to tcl I guess. Maybe I could convert it to python with pexpect. /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 8:46 AM, Michael Torrie wrote: > I'm looking for a solution like screen (maybe based on screen) for > remote terminal sharing. Sounds like you want kibitz. http://expect.nist.gov/example/kibitz.man.html /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 10:55:37AM -0600, Alex Esplin wrote: > > Getting ready for the Apocalypse, are we??? If you really want to be ready for the Rapture: http://youvebeenleftbehind.com/ -- Andrew McNabb http://www.mcnabbs.org/andrew/ PGP Fingerprint: 8A17 B57C 6879 1863 DE55 8012 AB4D 6098 8826 6868 /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
Alex Esplin wrote: > On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 08:46, Michael Torrie wrote: >> I'm looking for a solution like screen (maybe based on screen) for >> remote terminal sharing. But rather than logging into a remote machine >> where screen is already running and doing "screen -x" I want to have a >> system where someone running screen on the remote server connects out to >> my machine, letting me see what they are doing and work with them. This >> would let a person have me help them out with system administration >> tasks without having to have any passwords or any access at all normally >> to their systems. > > Getting ready for the Apocalypse, are we??? Repent for the end is nigh. /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 08:46, Michael Torrie wrote: > I'm looking for a solution like screen (maybe based on screen) for > remote terminal sharing. But rather than logging into a remote machine > where screen is already running and doing "screen -x" I want to have a > system where someone running screen on the remote server connects out to > my machine, letting me see what they are doing and work with them. This > would let a person have me help them out with system administration > tasks without having to have any passwords or any access at all normally > to their systems. Getting ready for the Apocalypse, are we??? -- Alex Esplin /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Re: Remote terminal sharing solution
Michael Torrie wrote: > I'm looking for a solution like screen (maybe based on screen) for > remote terminal sharing. But rather than logging into a remote machine > where screen is already running and doing "screen -x" I want to have a > system where someone running screen on the remote server connects out to > my machine, letting me see what they are doing and work with them. This > would let a person have me help them out with system administration > tasks without having to have any passwords or any access at all normally > to their systems. This document describes what I'd like to do, but I want to be able to do it somehow without needing a special account on my machine. More like something I could run on demand, that someone could connect to, "sending" me their screen. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=299286 /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
Remote terminal sharing solution
I'm looking for a solution like screen (maybe based on screen) for remote terminal sharing. But rather than logging into a remote machine where screen is already running and doing "screen -x" I want to have a system where someone running screen on the remote server connects out to my machine, letting me see what they are doing and work with them. This would let a person have me help them out with system administration tasks without having to have any passwords or any access at all normally to their systems. This is kind of analogous to running "vncviewer -listen" and having the vnc server add a connection. Does anyone have any ideas on how to accomplish this? Maybe I'd have to develop my own solution. I'd almost like a split screen with a chat portion. /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
