Using scp to download files from remote server?

Aloha,

Could someone please help me with some things that I could look at in order to download files from a remote server?

I am attempting to use scp to download the files from the remote server. The code in my controller is just this:

public function getTest()
{
    exec("scp [email protected]:/path/to/files/* /local/path/");
}

If I run the exec command with php -r, it works. Similarly, if I open tinker, and run (new App\Http\Controllers\TestController)->getTest(), it works.

I have found that it does not work when I open the page in a browser. It also does not work if I run it as a scheduled job. It does work if I manually run the exec command from artisan, though.

Right now, I'm doing this on a homestead box. 'vagrant' is both the local user and the web user, so I believe that access should be the same? Is there any reason it wouldn't be?

I have also tried using the -i option to explicitly set the key file. I've also tried setting up a ~/.ssh/config file.

I've spent all day on this, and am now thoroughly confused. Any ideas on things to look at?

Thank you,

--joel

gator

9 years ago

Best Answer

Level 16

Tinker and exec run with your privileges, access to your stored keys etc.. this is not true when you run from browser or cron.

Have you tried ssh2_scp_recv ? (http://php.net/manual/en/function.ssh2-scp-recv.php)

jijoel

9 years ago

Level 10

ssh2_scp_recv worked. Thank you so much!

My code ended up looking like this:

private function makeFileConnection()
{
    $connection = ssh2_connect(
        config('web.file-server'),
        config('web.port')
    );
    if( ! $connection ) {
        error('unable to establish file connection');
        return;
    }

    $fingerprint = config('web.fingerprint');
    if ($fingerprint) {
        if ($fingerprint !== ssh2_fingerprint(
            $connection,
            SSH2_FINGERPRINT_MD5 | SSH2_FINGERPRINT_HEX
        )) {
            error("HOSTKEY MISMATCH!\n" .
                "Possible Man-In-The-Middle Attack?");
            return;
        }
    }

    if (! ssh2_auth_pubkey_file (
        $connection,
        config('web.user'),
        config('web.public-key'),
        config('web.private-key')
    )) {
        error('unable to authenticate with server');
        return;
    }

    $this->connection = $connection;
}

... and, for each user:

    $file_dir = storage_path("app/files/$user_dir/");
    if (! File::isDirectory($file_dir))
        File::makeDirectory($file_dir, 0755, true);

    $attachments = json_decode($application->attachments);
    foreach($attachments as $attachment) {
        if (! ssh2_scp_recv(
            $this->connection,
            config('web.source').$attachment,
            $file_dir . File::basename($attachment)
        )) {
            error('Unable to copy '.$attachment);
        } else {
            // delete the file
            if (! config('web.test-mode',true)) {
                $sftp = ssh2_sftp($this->connection);
                ssh2_sftp_unlink($sftp, config('web.source').$attachment);
            }
        }
    }

normkatz

9 years ago

Level 1

Did you have to install ssh2 PECL extension or was it already in your server?

jijoel

9 years ago

Level 10

I had to install it. Easy enough, though:

sudo apt-get install php-ssh2

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