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SSH Terminal Guide

The SSH terminal provides interactive shell access to devices managed by LabSync.

Accessing the SSH Terminal​

Prerequisites​

  • Device must be online.
  • SSH service must be running on the device.
  • SSH credentials must be configured.

Starting a Session​

  1. Navigate to Devices.
  2. Select device.
  3. Click SSH Terminal.
  4. The browser opens an interactive shell.

Terminal Features​

Command Execution​

Type commands directly and press Enter. The terminal supports:

  • standard shell commands
  • shell scripts
  • command history
  • tab completion (browser-dependent)

Output View​

  • Displays stdout and stderr
  • Supports line wrapping and scrolling
  • Updates in real time

Copy and Paste​

  • Copy text from terminal output normally.
  • Paste commands into the input prompt.

SSH Credentials Configuration​

Types of Credentials​

  • Password authentication
  • SSH key authentication (recommended)

Entering Credentials​

  1. Open device details.
  2. Click SSH Credentials.
  3. Enter username.
  4. Provide either a password or private key.
  5. Save credentials.

SSH Key Best Practices​

  • Use RSA 4096-bit keys.
  • Protect the private key with strong file permissions.
  • Prefer key authentication over passwords.

Common SSH Commands​

System Status​

uname -a
hostname
uptime

Resource Usage​

top -b -n 1 | head -20
free -h
df -h

File Inspection​

cat /etc/os-release
ls -la /var/log
sudo journalctl -n 50

Package Management​

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Session Management​

Disconnecting​

  • Close the browser tab.
  • The SSH session will terminate automatically.
  • For a clean end, type exit or logout.

Reconnecting​

  • Return to the same device and open SSH Terminal again.
  • The session starts a new shell instance.

Terminal Does Not Open​

  • Confirm the device is online.
  • Verify SSH credentials are configured.
  • Check the SSH daemon on the device.
  • Review the device logs for connection failures.

Authentication Failed​

  • Verify username and password.
  • Ensure the private key is valid.
  • Check that the key is authorized on the target host.

Slow Terminal Response​

  • Check network latency.
  • Verify remote device CPU usage.
  • Use a command like top to identify load.

Lost Connection​

  • The device may have gone offline.
  • SSH service may have restarted.
  • Reopen the terminal session after verifying connectivity.

Next: Device Management or Scheduling