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Show HN: Manage on-prem servers from my smartphone

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Re: Show HN: Manage on-prem servers from my smartphone

#31

Post by nickpsecurity »

pmdfgy wrote: post #15
nickpsecurity wrote: post #10

If you use Python, you can restart the computer in one line using subprocess. Example: https://www.tutorialspoint.com/python-script-to-restart-comp... You can also use two scripts for security: 1. One that’s privileged for the shutdown command. 2. One with no privileges to accept the network request (eg Flask/REST), safely parse it, and send a message to process 1. You could send the message in many ways. It doesn’t…

Yes of course, the spec can be implemented in any language. I've used Go mainly for personal preferences and portability with only one binary to scp on the server. I'm going to try to propose other implementations as you suggest.

Go totally slipped my mind. It's also a good choice for the design I outlined.

Re: Show HN: Manage on-prem servers from my smartphone

#32

Post by leptons »

HenryBemis wrote: post #8
leptons wrote: post #7

I've been managing remote (and local) servers from my smartphone with RDP and SSH for almost 2 decades, not sure why I would use anything else.

I've tried from a bunch of different phones to use RDP, and apart from launching some SW/service or run a batch, I just cannot without the pixels/screen. It's just too darn small. I wonder what smartphones you got.. some phablet with 7"-8" or a typical 6"-6.4"?

Right now a Galaxy Fold 4. It's pretty great. But I was doing this stuff on an HTC wizard back in 2005.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTC_Wizard

It had a slide-out keyboard which I loved. I would even write code remotely to fix a critical bug, and deploy it, while I was out having lunch with my team. No need to rush back to the office. Granted, I had better eyesight 20 years ago, but now I just use readers, can see the screen just fine.

Re: Show HN: Manage on-prem servers from my smartphone

#33

Post by leptons »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #23
leptons wrote: post #7

I've been managing remote (and local) servers from my smartphone with RDP and SSH for almost 2 decades, not sure why I would use anything else.

I mean IMHO RDP has too many vulnerabilities too often to have it exposed to any network your phone also can promiscuously join. I would far rather expose a simple HTTP API for limited actions I consider safe.

Smartphones can certainly join VPNs and be secure using RDP. I don't have RDP exposed publicly.

Some random HTTP solution is the last thing I would trust.

Re: Show HN: Manage on-prem servers from my smartphone

#34

Post by pmdfgy »

chatmasta wrote: post #19

If you're on iOS, you can create a Shortcut that runs a script over SSH. I'm not sure if it's one of the native actions, or provided by an app called "Actions" which you can download from the App Store and which defines a bunch of useful actions.

Interesting. Do you have a specific link ? I didn't find anything. My main interrogations are how the private key and command are stored.

Re: Show HN: Manage on-prem servers from my smartphone

#35

Post by chatmasta »

pmdfgy wrote: post #34
chatmasta wrote: post #19

If you're on iOS, you can create a Shortcut that runs a script over SSH. I'm not sure if it's one of the native actions, or provided by an app called "Actions" which you can download from the App Store and which defines a bunch of useful actions.

Interesting. Do you have a specific link ? I didn't find anything. My main interrogations are how the private key and command are stored.

Just looking at it on my phone, you need to "enable scripting" in Settings > Shortcuts > Advanced. Then when you add the shortcut, you can select password authentication or SSH Key. If you use a key, it generates one for you, and there is a button to "copy public key" which you'll then need to add to authorized_keys on your server. I assume the private key is stored locally on the device.

Re: Show HN: Manage on-prem servers from my smartphone

#36

Post by doublerabbit »

pmdfgy wrote: post #16
doublerabbit wrote: post #4

Does it have FreeBSD support and any instructions for not using it with docker?

Of course you can compile the server from source if you have Go and the OpenAPI generator JAR ( https://github.com/OpenAPITools/openapi-generator?tab=readme... ) Follow these steps : https://github.com/c100k/rebootx-on-prem/blob/master/.github... And then : (cd ./impl/http-server-go && GOARCH=amd64 GOOS=openbsd go build -o rebootx-on-prem-http-server-go-openbsd-amd64 -v) By adapting the arch if needed. Not tested, bu…

Cool, Ill give it a whack. Thanks.

Re: Show HN: Manage on-prem servers from my smartphone

#37

Post by SkyPuncher »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #23
leptons wrote: post #7

I've been managing remote (and local) servers from my smartphone with RDP and SSH for almost 2 decades, not sure why I would use anything else.

I mean IMHO RDP has too many vulnerabilities too often to have it exposed to any network your phone also can promiscuously join. I would far rather expose a simple HTTP API for limited actions I consider safe.

Nobody should be exposing a service like this directly to the internet. It should either be behind or wrapped by some better authentication system.
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