, and ,,: Run commands on remote server with sshfs

Overview

• ,: Run commands on remote server with all files stored remotely
  • Pros: Remote commands access files without networking, reducing latency
  • Pros: Save huge disk space on your local machine.
  • Cons: If the remote machine is down, you cannot work at all.
  • Cons: Cannot switch among multiple remote machines easily.
  • Cons: During setup, you need to manually transfer all your data.
  • Use this mode when: Compile gcc, llvm, Linux kernel, etc.
• ,,: Run commands on remote server with all files stored locally
  • Pros: Setup is instant and does not involve any data movement.
  • Pros: You can still work locally when the remote machine is down.
  • Pros: You can easily switch among multiple remote machines.
  • Cons: Remote commands access files through networking, increasing latency
  • Cons: Higher disk usage on local machine.
  • Cons: Local commands access files through internet, increasing latency
  • Use this mode when: Unit testing your own work.

Note: You need sshfs installed on both machine.

Usage - ,

1. On your local machine, create an empty folder called magic:

   mkdir magic

2. Create a config file in the folder:

   echo 'RMT_HOST=<user>@<host>' > magic/.rmt-config

3. Make the magic folder magic by:

   . , magic

4. Now you can operate on the folder from both side in one single shell:

   vim Makefile   # Edit files using local machine
   , make -j64    # Run heavy jobs using remote machine

   Note: Files are stored remotely but is visible locally thanks to sshfs.

5. You can of course launch a remote shell like ssh:

   ,

6. To stop the magic:

   . ,

   Note: Files are still stored on the remote machine.

7. To get the files back, simply type . , magic again.

Usage - ,,

1. Inside a non-empty folder, create a config file in the folder:

   echo 'RMT_HOST=<user>@<host>' > magic/.rmt-config

2. Now you can operate on the folder from both side in one single shell:

   ,, make -j64    # Run heavy jobs using remote machine

   Note: Files are stored remotely but is visible locally thanks to sshfs.

3. You can of course launch a remote shell like ssh:

   ,,

4. To stop:

   ,, ,

   Note: Files are still stored on the local machine.

Configuration: .rmt-config

• RMT_HOST: (Required) The remote machine.
• RMT_LOCALHOST: (Required for ,,) The local machine.
• RMT_SSH: (Optional) To override the command line for ssh. Default is ssh -Y -t.
• RMT_SSHFS: (Optional) To override the command line for sshfs, Default is sshfs.
• RMT_RENV: (Optional) Will be added to the command line of /usr/bin/env during ssh call.
• RMT_RSHELL: (Optional) To override the login shell on remote machine. Default is to be automatically detected.
• RMT_RDIR: (Optional) To specify where to store the files on remote machine. A path relative to $HOME. Default is .rmt/.

Limitation

Quotation and escape is a mess. If your command contains $, escape carefully. There's absolutely no gurantee that any kind of escape will or will not work. If you want to run any command containing &&, ||, or |, use the remote shell by typing , alone.

License

MIT