using Rebex.Net;

Hello, "su" is a very special command and it won't run from a terminal-less shell by design because it refuses to take password when it is not running from a full terminal. In fact, it is not intended to be run by automated scripts, which is actually what the SimpleShell is all about - programatic automated scripting. The "sudo" command is the recommended workaround for these purposes. Also, this particular sample can't be used to start commands that require user interaction - and it states this when it is started.

Check out the following forums for more information:

http://www.ae.iitm.ac.in/pipermail/ilugc/2002-September/000726.html

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/linux-programming-scripting/62738-get-password-through-shell-script.html

http://forums.sun.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4209908

What other options are there?

1) Use "sudo" command instead (recommended)

2) Use our VirtualTerminal class to do the work (bit more complicated than Shell class for this purpose, but it can be done)

3) Try to use the Shell command in Prompt-based mode - this makes "su" possible, but sending passwords is not supported by our API at the moment (will be there in the next release soon), so for now, we have to resort to undocumented functionality for this. See the code below:

In the SimpleShell sample, instead of this:

// start the shell in prompt-detection mode

Shell shell = ssh.StartShell(ShellMode.WellKnownShell);

Use this:

// start the shell in prompt-detection mode

Shell shell = ssh.StartShell(ShellMode.Prompt);

// set the prompt string of the user's shell

// (this line must be modified to match the actual prompt!)

shell.Prompt = "user01@server01:~$ ";

// run the 'su' command

shell.SendCommand("su");

// wait until the shell asks for password

string result = shell.ReadAll("Password: ");

Console.WriteLine(result);

// if it has not asked for password, throw an exception

if (!result.EndsWith("Password: "))

throw new ApplicationException("Unexpected su response.");

// ask the user for password

string password = Console.ReadLine();

// send the password to the server using internal functionality

// (there will be a public method for this in the next release!)

typeof(Shell).InvokeMember(

"SendData",

System.Reflection.BindingFlags.Instance |

System.Reflection.BindingFlags.NonPublic |

System.Reflection.BindingFlags.InvokeMethod,

null,

shell,

new object[] { password }

);

shell.SendCommand("");

// set the prompt string of the new user's shell

// (this line must be modified to match the actual prompt!)

shell.Prompt = "server01:/home/user01# ";

Console.WriteLine(shell.ReadAll());

This will start the "su" command at the beginning and ask for password.

Please let me know if you prefer VB.NET!