Load a file via scp and open in your favourite editor. afterward, write the file back over scp to the server. #bash #scp #ssh #utility

sshFileAccess.sh

#!/bin/bash

# This program is free software. It comes without any warranty, to
# the extent permitted by applicable law. You can redistribute it
# and/or modify it under the terms of the Do What The Fuck You Want
# To Public License, Version 2, as published by Sam Hocevar. See
# http://www.wtfpl.net/ for more details.


#some constants
local_meta_postfix=".ssh_meta"
local_meta_prefix="/tmp"
#colors for output
RED='\033[0;31m'
NC='\033[0m' # No Color

#loads the file from ssh and stores it. a metafile is created in /tmp/ to store the
#origin of the file.
function loadFile {
  # first parameter: $1 := file to be copied
  remote_url=$1
  #second parameter : $2 := file name of new file
  local_url=$2
  #third parameter : $3 := editor-command to be used, default is nano
  if [ ! "$3"];then
    editor="nano"
    else
    editor=$3
  fi
  # first, download the file to the local url and create a metafile, storing
  # its location on the server.

  scp $remote_url $local_url
  error_code="$?"
  if [ $error_code != 0 ] # check return code of scp for errors
    then
      echo -e "${RED}Something went wrong during scp-ing, check console ${NC}"
      exit
  fi
  # create the meta-file
  local_name=$(basename $2) # filename of local downloaded file
  local_realpath=$(realpath $2) # only the path of the file
  local_folder=$(dirname $local_realpath) # only folder
  local_meta_file="$local_meta_prefix$local_folder/.$local_name$local_meta_postfix" # full path of the meta-file
  local_meta_folder=$(dirname $local_meta_file) # only the folder the meta-file lies in


  mkdir -p $local_meta_folder # create directory for meta file in /tmp/
  echo $remote_url > $local_meta_file  #store the remote file url in the meta-file

  echo "Stored remote File in $local_realpath"

  $editor $local_realpath # open local file in editor
}

#save the file with the given name back to the remote server if a metadata file is found
function saveFile {
  #first parameter: fileName.
  local_file=$1
  local_name=$(basename $1)
  local_realpath=$(realpath $1)
  local_folder=$(dirname $local_realpath)

  local_meta_file="$local_meta_prefix$local_folder/.$local_name$local_meta_postfix"

  remote_url=$(cat $local_meta_file)

  if [ ! "$remote_url"] # if file is not found or empty, print error message
    then
      echo "metafile $local_meta_file not found"
    else
      scp $local_file $remote_url
      echo "saved file on remote server: $remote_url"
  fi

}

if [ $1 == "-l" ]
  then
    loadFile $2 $3 $4
  elif [ $1 == "-s" ]
    then
      saveFile $2
  else
    echo -e "usage:\t sshFileAccess -l <user@remotelocation:filepath> <location/to/store/file> <editor-to-be-used> # load file"
    echo -e ' \t sshFileAccess -s <location/to/store/file> # store file again'
    exit
fi