The router-ssh.sh script provides general-purpose SSH access for running commands and scripts, transferring files and working in an open remote shell. For application updates on a test router, use Deploy Files, which handles file deployment together with the application's required post-deploy steps.

Run the commands below from the repository root in Bash (Git Bash on Windows).

Requirements

Bash and an OpenSSH client (ssh). File transfers also need scp; key generation needs ssh-keygen.
A reachable router with SSH access. Application packages and mapping files are not required.

Setup

Create a local router config:

cp .dev/router-ssh/target.env.example .dev/router-ssh/target.env

Set ROUTER_HOST, ROUTER_USER and ROUTER_PORT. The template defaults to root on port 22.

SSH tries the configured key, project key and normal SSH identities or agent during the actual operation. No separate network probe is performed. If authentication is rejected, the script preserves an existing key or creates a project key and prints its public part with installation instructions. Add it under LuCI → System → Administration → SSH-Keys, then repeat the operation.

Alternatively, add --interactive in your own terminal to install the public key using the router password and continue. Ordinary runs never prompt for passwords. Connection errors and failures after authentication do not cause automatic retries.

Usage

Individual Operations

bash .dev/router-ssh/router-ssh.sh exec-command 'logread -l 20'
bash .dev/router-ssh/router-ssh.sh exec-command < diagnostic.sh
bash .dev/router-ssh/router-ssh.sh put-files ./helper /tmp/helper
bash .dev/router-ssh/router-ssh.sh get-files /tmp/debug.log ./debug.log

Remote file paths must be absolute. Transfers accept multiple sources when the destination is a directory; add --recursive to copy directories. Individual commands preserve remote stdout, stderr and the exit status. Local connection messages go to stderr.

Open Session

For multiple commands, prefer open-session: it keeps one SSH connection open without reauthenticating for each command.

bash .dev/router-ssh/router-ssh.sh open-session

In a terminal, this opens the router's normal interactive shell. Enter commands as needed and close it with exit or Ctrl+D. The working directory and variables persist within the session. Ctrl+C can interrupt a running remote command without closing the shell.

With redirected streams, the same mode runs sh -s without a prompt or terminal formatting. An agent can keep stdin open, send commands incrementally and read their output without reconnecting. Exit or close stdin to end the session. The process returns the shell's final exit status; individual command statuses can be read through $?.

File transfers remain independent put-files and get-files calls. They do not reuse the open shell. A disconnected session is not automatically reopened and its commands are not replayed.

Verification

Run exec-command 'uname -n' to check the target. In an open session, verify the working directory with pwd and the last command's status with echo $?. A local setup error returns 1, required user action returns 2, and SSH may return 255 for a connection error or remote exit 255.

Configuration

SSH_KEY_PATH — Optional key to include first; relative paths start at the repository root. On Windows, both D:/... and D:\... paths are accepted. An explicitly configured missing file is an error.
.ssh/id_ed25519 — Project key next to the script, used if present.

The script sets ServerAliveInterval=15 and ServerAliveCountMax=3 by default to detect unresponsive SSH connections.

Normal SSH configuration and agent access remain available. New host keys are accepted automatically; changed host keys stop the connection. Local target.env and .ssh/ are ignored by the project's root .gitignore.

Cleanup

Temporary key copies and SSH diagnostics are removed when the operation or session ends. Files transferred to the router remain until explicitly removed.