The RSH (Remote Shell) command connects your terminal to a
remote host and requests it to execute the command, script, or
command procedure that you specify. If the command generates
output, you see it as if it were produced locally. If you omit a
remote command when you enter an RSH command line, RSH initiates
an RLOGIN session. However, if the command line includes the
/PASSWORD qualifier, the remote login attempt fails. Using the
/PASSWORD qualifier invokes REXEC.
Syntax rules require that you enter your RSH command line so that
the remote command is the last word.
Quotation Marks
If the remote command is one or more lowercase words, you do not
need to enclose them in double quotation marks on the RSH command
line. However, double quotation marks ( " " ) are required for
the following:
o Mixed-case UNIX commands
o Uppercase UNIX commands
In addition, RSH handles one double quotation mark ( " ) and
two consecutive double quotation marks ( " " ) in the following
manner:
o If you enter one double quotation mark on a command line, RSH
removes it.
o If you enter two consecutive double quotation marks on the
command line, RSH removes the first quotation mark and leaves
the second.
o If you enclose text within double quotation marks on a command
line, RSH disables the default conversion of characters to
lowercase and removes the quotation marks.
Note that, as a general rule, if you are uncertain about whether
or not to use quotation marks, you should use them.
Interrupting Commands
To stop remote execution of a command, press either Ctrl/C or
Ctrl/Y.
1 – Examples
The following examples show how to use the RSH command.
1. In the first example, the remote system manager previously
created an entry in the authentication files for remote user
STAN on host oster, giving STAN permission to access user
rolly.
From the local OpenVMS host, user STAN views rolly's
directory, which resides on UNIX system oster. No quotation
marks are required around the user name and host name because
RSH by default sends them in lowercase.
$ RSH /USER_NAME=ROLLY OSTER LS
2. On the following RSH command line, the uppercase UNIX
qualifier -R is entered within quotation marks to preserve the
uppercase R. This example assumes that the user's originating
host and user name are in the authentication files on the
remote host debts.
$ RSH DEBTS LS "-R"
3. The following commands show how RSH sends quotation marks to
a remote UNIX host and how quotation marks affect case. All
examples assume that the user's originating host and user name
are in the authentication files on the remote host.
$ RSH DEBTS ECHO TEST MESSAGE
test message
$ RSH DEBTS ECHO "\""test\"" message"
"test" message
RSH DEBTS ECHO "TEST" MESSAGE
TEST message
$ RSH DEBTS "echo '""test"" message'"
"test" message
4. Because a remote command is not specified on the RSH command
line, TCP/IP Services executes RLOGIN.
$ RSH MOON01
Password: <Return>(password not echoed)
Last successful login for jjones: Fri Sep 25 10:58:31 2003 from nebula
Last unsuccessful login for jjones: Fri Sep 25 11:59:43 2003 on ttyp5
Tru64 UNIX V5.0 (Rev. 148); Tue Apr 7 18:32:54 EST 2003
Compaq Computer Corporation
Internal Use Only
moon01>
5. In this example, the OpenVMS system manager of host WR2
previously created an entry in the authentication files for
remote user SIMMS on host WR1.
From OpenVMS host WR1, user SIMMS enters the DIRECTORY command
to execute at host WR2.
$ RSH WR2 DIRECTORY
6. In this example, the OpenVMS system manager of host WR2
previously created an entry in the authentication files for
remote user SIMMS on host WR1, allowing user SIMMS access to
the user name ROGERS.
User SIMMS enters the DIRECTORY command from host WR1 to
execute at host WR2 in user account ROGERS.
$ RSH WR2 /USER=ROGERS DIRECTORY