akuriackovskij

@Michel Lambert Just a few weeks back I accidentally disabled SFTP option for one of my connections ("Automatically open the file transfer tab") and I noticed that I am not receiving this connection error anymore.

I had that option enabled for all my SSH connections by default as that files tree view was working fine for me some time ago, then it stopped for some reason (maybe that is how my corp is managing connections I am not sure) but I never thought that while that option is still enabled (and not working) it is causing this ambiguous "Unable to establish connection" error which was happening on a random basis.

Just as a suggestion - it would be nice to have a more informative "Unable to establish connection" window for this context, maybe to say sometime like "Unable to establish connection over SFTP" or something similar. Anyway the issue is resolved for me, you decide how best to handle error verbosity ! Thanks a lot for your help.

Hi,

I’m following up regarding the issue you reported.

Are you still experiencing the random pop-up while using an SSH session in the latest version of RDM?

Best regards,

Hey,

It is still popping up, constantly. I have to admit that I got used closing that message tens of time thorough the day, but would still be happy if someone help me troubleshooting this issue 😁 The RDM is updated regularly as soon as I get a notification about the new available version.

Thanks Gabriel.

Strange enough... I enabled "Session logs" and set verbosity level to 4.

Not getting anything apart of below (I have keepalive pings enabled every 10sec). Error message was received around 9:53:30.

[10/24/2024 9:52:55 PM] Sending nop
[10/24/2024 9:53:05 PM] Sending nop
[10/24/2024 9:53:15 PM] Sending nop
[10/24/2024 9:53:25 PM] Sending nop
[10/24/2024 9:53:35 PM] Sending nop
[10/24/2024 9:53:45 PM] Sending nop
[10/24/2024 9:53:55 PM] Sending nop
[10/24/2024 9:54:05 PM] Sending nop
[10/24/2024 9:54:15 PM] Sending nop

I experimented with the following:

• One SSH session open. After some period I am getting exact 1 error message (screenshot in my first post). That happens randomly, session can be idle, or I was just typing in it - it doesn't matter.

• Three SSH sessions open. To three different hosts. After some period I am getting 3 error messages, but not at the same time - they are about 5-10 seconds apart.

All three session logs don't have any log for when the error pop-up message was received.

Is there anything else I can do to enable more debugging at the application level? "Application logs" doesn't have any log entries either.

Hi.

While connected to SSH session I am getting a pop-up as shown below. That happens on a random basis without any obvious pattern. That doesn't break the existing SSH connection, I am still connected. But periodically need to click "OK" to allow me to continue working in the terminal which is a bit annoying.

Tried to restart the RDM but it is still the same. Perhaps I can read the log somewhere which would suggest what exactly is causing it (I guess maybe an option ticked somewhere, but who knows which one) ?

RDM on MacOS Sonoma 14.7, Version 2024.3.4.4

Hi Gabriel,

Yep that is correct!

Thanks.

Hi Gabriel,

Ooh fantastic, thanks a lot! That works.

Hi,

There is an option available on SSH entries (context menu on right click) - Open with parameters. In particular I am interested in Embedded SFTP or SCP.

How can I do the same via rdm:// command? Your support page re command-line arguments doesn't list options for starting SSH with SFTP/SCP.

If that argument is not available via command-line, anyway I can enable SFTP or SCP in SSH entry (ticking the box somewhere?). From what I read on the forum on Windows this option is available under SSH Advanced settings. But on Mac I cannot find it.

Version: 2024.3.4.4

Thanks.

Hi!

I have use-case where I have an SSH entry. That SSH entry has Before Open event to prompt for the hostname to connect to. Then $PROMPT_VARIABLE$ is used in Host field in General section.

All that is fine... when you have working DNS. I don't :)

I have a Netbox (IPAM system) to which I can do an API call with the curl bash command to retrieve IP of the hostname.

Is there any way to do the following:

• Get prompted to input hostname

• Make an API call to Netbox with $PROMPT_VARIABLE$ argument

• Use returned value to override Host variable in SSH entry

I have a dirty workaround which I don't like - since I have different credentials for different subset of hosts I can use the following:

• Command line entry in RDM which prompts for the hostname and run a bash script "myscript.sh $PROMPT_VARIABLE$"

• myscript.sh has commands to make an API call to Netbox to get an IP ($hostip below)

• Then myscript.sh invokes RDM Template via command open -a "/Applications/Remote Desktop Manager.app" "rdm://open?DataSource=dad2.....Template=$templateid&Host=$hostip&Title=$host"

But that is hard to maintain because for every connection with different creds I need to have a separate RDM Template, and also additional logic in bash script to use that specific Template when connecting to specific hostnames....

So my question is, how on MacOS to overwrite Host variable with something what can be returned from a command line (or from external bash script?)

Thanks!

Hi,

Thanks sounds great! Thanks for the update.

Hi.

I am wondering if I am missing how to get it configured or there is no such support:

When closing RDM on MacOS with some sessions/windows open and then re-opening RDM it prompts if I want to re-open previously closed sessions, and if to accept that it does connect to the previously open sessions, but the history/scrollback displayed in that session is starting from new. Is it possible to preserve history/scrollback displayed in the reopened window? Would be very helpful as that feature would allow to see where I finished.

I am mainly referring here to ssh sessions and local Terminal sessions.

Thanks!

Hi.

RDM Free on MacOS, 2023.2.5.1

When I open multiple SSH tabs of the same remote host, let's name it "SERV1", and then right-click on the tab which is second/third/etc and select "Reconnect" then the first tab is getting reconnected all the time.

For instance I have 3 tabs "SERV1", "SERV1", "SERV1". Session under the third tab got disconnected. I click "Reconnect" - nothing happens with that tab, but if I look at the first tab I see it got reconnected 😣 If I move/change order of the third tab (which is disconnected) to become first tab in line and then click "Reconnect" only then it gets reconnected.

Basically, at the moment if I have multiple tabs of the same connection open and I want to Reconnect one of those, I need to reorder it to ensure that it is the first tab.

Issue is not critical but annoying. Can that get logged as a bug? :-)

Hi Xavier,

I came to another solution - instead of SSH connection with the Message Prompt I am using "Command Line (External application)" type with "Message Prompt".

I put hostname in the prompt and then passing $PROMPT_VARIABLE$ to an external script as an argument.

External script is simply a bash script which do whatever it needs to do to translate that hostname to an IP (local DNS not possible thus I am querying Netbox with curl), and then bash script invokes rdm template I preconfigured with credentials and few other parameters + "Host" and "Title" arguments like that:

open -a "/Applications/Remote Desktop Manager Free.app" "rdm://open?DataSource=8db309c5-02cb-4d38-b892-66e25a7e7070&Template=38d255ae-759c-4713-9ba6-039d4926edb2&Host=$hostip&Title=$1"

That makes it to open in the RDM in the way I wanted.

It is not ideal because it requires few more lines in bash script (which I was about to use anyway, just not to invoke rdm connections) but I am happy anyway!

Hi.

RDM Free on MacOS, 2023.2.5.1

I am wondering can we access output of the script/macro or command-line from Before Open?

For instance, I want to chain few tasks in order to SSH to an IP address of the remote host by knowing only its hostname (not dns resolvable locally).

So the flow is the following:

1. Trigger a connection configured with Before Open "Message Prompt". Enter hostname of the machine.

2. Pass $PROMPT_VARIABLE$ (hostname) gathered from step 1 to Before Open "Command line". Can we actually chain two "Before Open" actions in RDM?

3. Gather output from "Command line" execution in step 2 and use that result as a variable in SSH Host to connect to (variable would be an IP address).

So far I cannot find any built-in variables which would save output of "Command line", in the similar way like "$PROMPT_VARIABLE$" is working.

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Hi Xavier,

Ah my bad! I must be very blind, for some reason my eyes were ignoring "Edit" option and I was using Open.

"Edit" solves the problem. Thanks.

Hey.

I am wondering are there any plans to get enabled files editing over scp? So far when opening file in scp browser in RDM it appears to be opening the locally saved copy, and when saving that file it is also saved only locally. I am looking for a way of getting update pushed to a remote file when I save file which I opened from the remote scp. Also would be nice to have a prompt to choose a local app for opening the remote file so it can be chosen what editor to use.

Thanks!

Thanks Gabriel. I can confirm it is resolved now with new release.

Hi Gabriel,

Sorry I prob had to mention that at the beginning - I am using Mac version of RDM. And I checked on your website the latest available version of RDM for Mac is 2022.2.12.0. For Windows 2022.2.24.0 is latest. But I don't have Windows where I could test it.

And perhaps the issue isn't "version related", maybe it is OS related problem. Do you have resources to test that scenario on MacOS instead? Or let me know if you want me to contribute more to that troubleshooting and provide some lower level debugging details.

Thanks.

Hi Gabriel,

Version of RDM: 2022.2.12.0

Data source: Local Data Source

The following are changed from defaults:

Max scrollback lines: 20,000

Unticked "Close on disconnect or error"

That is really it...

Some of the connections are setup with jump host (SSH Gateway), some aren't. Some have TCP keepalives enabled, others don't... But "Reconnect" isn't working with any questions.

In fact, Reconnect is working when SSH session is live - when doing Reconnect on such session it closes session and reconnects in the same window. If I close session (ie with "exit" command in SSH) and then trying to click "Reconnect" then nothing happens.

root@test-host-01:~$ exit
logout
[30/09/2022 16:51:07] Bytes sent: 2528, Bytes received: 3871
[30/09/2022 16:51:07] Packets sent: 19, Packets received: 23
[30/09/2022 16:51:07] Kex completed: 1

Hi.

I have SSH connections setup with the unticked box "Close on disconnect or error".

When connection is timing out/host reboots the window of the session persist - that is ok. But when I click "Reconnect" on that session then nothing happens. So to re-connect I need to open a new connection tab and close the old one which was disconnected. Seems to be a bug to me.

Thanks!

Hi Hubert,

I am not sure what that option "Custom host port" is supposed to do? Is that for declaring a port of the SSH Tunnel host?

Anyway I tried to put there {PARENT_CUSTOM_FIELD3} which is equal to port 8839 on the parent connection (just for the sake of testing) but I don't think "SSH Tunnel" connection inherited anything when I triggered that connection, it still built tunnel from localhost port 8443 to remote host port 443 which is how it is configured.

Just to make it a bit clearer-

Parent session:

Type: Website. Name "WEB" with host 127.0.0.1 port 8443.

CUSTOM_FIELD1: 20.20.20.13

Connection over VPN/SSH/Gateway: Existing SSH, Session: "SSHTUN"

Child session:

Type: SSH Tunnel. Name "SSHTUN". Host: 10.10.10.1.

Outgoing Tunnel Settings: Mode: Local, Local address: 127.0.0.1, Local port 8443; Remote host: $PARENT_CUSTOM_FIELD1$, Remote port: 443

So, when I am opening "WEB" session it invokes child session "SSHTUN". Once tunnel from localhost:8443 to 20.20.20.13:443 is built webpage is accessible on 127.0.0.1:8443.

My question is, if I want to create WEB2 session which should talk to 20.20.20.155 on port 8080 but to re-use existing SSHTUN how can I achieve that if under SSHTUN "Remote port" is hardcoded to port 443?

My thinking would be to set "CUSTOM_FIELD2" to 8080 in parent and then reference that as {PARENT_CUSTOM_FIELD2} in child (SSHTUN session) to be used as Remote port, but I can't.

Please advise if there are anything else can be done. And I hope above is clear :)

Hi!

Would you be able to make port field to be configurable with {variable} ? I do understand that currently port field accept only ints. Perhaps you can add support so it can accept variables as well?

I have a use-case where I want to re-use "SSH Tunnel" connection for various types of connections - SSH, RDP, HTTPS... So my thinking is to make in parent connections CUSTOM_FIELD1 and 2 to be port numbers (local & remote), then invoke SSH Tunnel connection where I would reference {PARENT_CUSTOM_FIELD1} and {2} in port fields. That would allow to re-use the same "SSH Tunnel" for multiple connections/purposes.

Thanks!

Hi Hubert,

Just to add - it seems regex processing is slowing down output/rendering. For instance by even having this short regex it is slowing down output in terminal:

\w*[Ee]rr\w*|\w*[Ff]ail\w*|\w*[Cc]rash\w*

But I also tried to use more complex set of Syntax Highlighting profiles with 10+ rules which consists of long regex expressions, and they are just "hanging" RDM as I wrote in my initial post.

Hi.

Re Syntax highlighting in SSH/terminal.

I am wondering would it be feasible to implement functionality of having Syntax Highlighting for different templates or per connection?

It would be nice to have multiple presets of Syntax highlighting which can be re-used in various parts when needed only.

So far I am finding Syntax Highlighting unusable for me since it is enabled globally for all SSH connections and I am working with both Network equipment and Linux servers so highlighting is a bit messy, but the most annoying thing is that when highlighting is enabled it very veeery slows down output in terminal, for example when I am doing cat or grep of any log files which sometimes are quite bulky my RDM just get frozen for 10-15 secs, then spits our portion of text, then get frozen again and so on... So for such kind of SSH connections it would be perfect to have Syntax Highlighting disabled, while for others enabled. And having various sets for different purposes.

OS: Macos 12.6

RDM: 2022.2.12.0

Hi Xavier,

Yes, events on SSH entries.

I am afraid no, the command(s) I want to run are local.

So I would like "Command line" action under "After Login" event (but for local execution, not remote), or possibility to have multiple actions under "Before Open" - current action I used for "Message Prompt" where I am assigning hostname to a variable (Mode: Variable).

Currently I cannot set "Command line" action in parallel to "Message Prompt"... Or if I set it there then my "Message Prompt" will be gone.

I understand there are Macro in "After Login" and "After Login Commands" - but both aren't suitable as they both send commands inside the session.

Thanks!

Hi community!

I discovered Remote Desktop Manager recently and I really love what this tool is capable of doing.

I have got one request though.

I have lots of various types of VMs running behind bastion host so I setup one of the Sessions with $PROMPT_VARIABLE$ as a hostname, configured jumphost and "Before Open" event which is prompting for entering hostname of the VM I want to connect over the jump host. It is working fine. But I also need to be able to execute a local script at "Before Open" or as "After open" event. That script basically is a "router" of documentation - based on the prefix of the hostname ($PROMPT_VARIABLE$ inline argument should be passed to it) it will call a certain url with the documentation.

In short, I am looking for a way of getting either multiple actions for "Before Open" event or "Command line" action to be added for "After Open" event.

P.S. I am using MacOS

Thank you.