[Novalug] How to create a custom GUI to run ssh commands

Clif Flynt clif@cflynt.com
Sun Sep 7 11:31:47 EDT 2008


On Sat, Sep 06, 2008 at 06:16:06PM -0400, Nick Danger wrote:
> John Peck wrote:
> > I have an ubuntu box that controls my home lighting using x10 and heyu
> > on my LAN. I would like to create a custom gui interface on my main box
> > that allows me to click a 'living room on' button (and other systems)
> > that sends a command ssh remote 'heyu turn livingroom on'. I have
> > already set the remote box with ssh passwordless public keys. I'm
> > looking for a way to create the interface on the local box that will
> > group the lighting systems with on and off buttons. Are there any gui
> > builders out there that would fit this need? I am a not a proficient
> > programmer.
> >   
> I've seen this done before using web, which might help. Or you can do it 
> with something more complicated like MisterHouse. But if you want to 
> stick with the way you have it so far, there are quite a few Tcl/Tk 
> scripts that might do it for you. I've linked one, but there are others.
> 
> http://misterhouse.sourceforge.net/  MisterHouse

> http://www.msen.com/~clif/Control.html   Control   a Tcl program

  Nick - thanks for the plug for my Control app.
  
  Control.tcl is a very simple minded application.  I think I spent an
hour on it.  It's a graphical front end to the BottleRocket (br) command
that's referenced on the page.

  It works, and it's easy to configure, and that's about all I can say
about it.  It does take some up-front time to build a gif image of the
house you want to control - I did mine with xpaint.

  In the real world, I used Control for a few weeks, and then just got in
the habit of keeping an xterm open and up-arrowing to the br command I want
to invoke.

  For a techie nerd, the control line is faster and easier than the GUI.

  I may start using Control again now that my wife has evinced an interest
in using X-10 throughout the house, instead of just in my office/workshop.

  If you do try Control and find something it doesn't do (but should), let
me know and I'll see about changing it.

  Clif

--
.... Clif Flynt ... http://www.cflynt.com ... clif@cflynt.com ...
.. Tcl/Tk: A Developer's Guide (2nd edition) - Morgan Kauffman ..
. 15'th Annual Tcl/Tk Conference:  Oct 20-25 2008,  Manassas VA .
.............  http://www.tcl.tk/community/tcl2008/  ............









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