Saturday 11 June 2016

Let's SSH




Click here to download Let's SSH android app.
 

       Years ago, we used to work on large machines and then we switched to Desktops and then to laptops. Now, even laptop seems like a burden to us. Now is an era for mobile devices. So it's time for us to bring our work to mobile devices.

Let's SSH helps us in achieving this.

Let's SSH is an android app that lets us remotely, yet securely, login to our workstation from anywhere using our mobile devices. 

No overhead of carrying your workstation with you. Your workstation can rest at your workplace, yet you can issue commands to it from wherever you are.



HOW TO USE Let's SSH?

  

Establishing a connection

 

 Establish a connection with remote server using the LOGIN activity.



To login to the remote server, following informations are required : 
  • Name of the account in the server
  • Password of the account in the server
  • IP address of the server


Save login

 

Once you successfully login to your SSH server,
Let's SSH will ask you to save your login along with your password (optional)

Saving your login facilitates : 
  • Faster login henceforth
  • Access to previous command issued (exclusive to the account)


If the password is not saved at login time, it is required every time you login. An option to save the password is given every time you are asked to enter the password.

If the user chooses not to save his login, he is treated as a guest user and his commands are saved for that session and once he logout, all the issued commands are cleared.


Working with the SHELL

 

Let's SSH provides you with a SHELL like environment as shown below,



 I have tried to make the UI of the shell activity similar to command line interface yet maintaining the design integrity of an android app.


Many a times, the user has to feed sensitive information like password for some operations.
Let's SSH allows the user to hide such information by using a simple menu icon (eye).
It does the following : 
  • Transform the input text field into password field
  • Commands/password fed in hidden phase will not be saved
 


Let's SSH works flawlessly with programs involving shell like mysql, python, mongodb and many more.

A screenshot while working with mysql shell is given below,




The overflow menu option allows the user to :
  • clear the screen anytime
  • exit the shell


Faster login 

 

All saved login are displayed in the saved login activity for faster login.



Always a check is made on selecting a saved login whether the server to which the user is trying to connect is the intended host?

Remove saved login with its saved commands with a single touch. 

For a new login he can just tap the floating add button and he will be directed to the login activity.


 IMPORTANT : WHY CONNECTION MAY FAIL?

 

Incorrect IP address

 

If the server and the mobile device are in the same LOCAL NETWORK, say your home network, then you can simply enter the local IP address of the server.

If you want to connect the server which is behind another router then you have to configure the router at the server side to port forward to your server's local IP address using port number 22.


SSH not installed on server

 

For the connection to be successful, SSH must be installed on the server. A simple issue of command on the server can install it :

                        sudo apt-get install ssh

  This is a common issue which gets overlooked by many, including me.




You can download the app from Google Play Store.