Python os.mkdir still creates folders locally even after connecting to SSH server using Paramiko

Question

The principle of the script is that it should connect from one virtual machine to another via an SSH connection and generate a certain number of folders.
The script runs, but when executed, generates folders on the host machine.

import os
from paramiko import SSHClient, AutoAddPolicy
from sys import argv
 
address = argv[1]
port = int(argv[2])
name = argv[3]
path = argv[4]
prefix = argv[5]
counts = int(argv[6])
mode = int(argv[7])
 
def generateFolders(path, prefix, counts, mode):
   for i in range(1, counts+1):
       folderName = prefix + str(i)
       pth = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), path, folderName)
       os.mkdir(pth, mode)
 
 
command = generateFolders(path, prefix, counts, mode)
 
print(address)
client1 = SSHClient()
client1.set_missing_host_key_policy(AutoAddPolicy())
client1.connect(address, username=name, password='1')
stdin, stdout, stderr = client1.exec_command(command)
 
print(stdout.read())
 
client1.close()

The command in the terminal

But without a script, I can connect to another virtual machine

Asked By: Jane

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Source

Answer 1

Jane, its making dirs on your local box because that is where the python script is running.

I suggest you look at this question and answer.

In that QandA, they show how to use ssh on the local box to execute commands on a remote box. You could use your existing code as the code which is run on the remote box using the above as your guide.

Specifically this this one

Answered By: netskink

Answer 2

The os.mkdir creates folders on the local machine. It won’t magically start working on a remote machine only because you have previous opened SSH connection to that machine (and you actually even did not, as you open it only after calling os.mkdir).

To create a folder on a remote machine via Paramiko module, use SFTPClient.mkdir.

sftp = client1.open_sftp()

for i in range(1, counts+1):
    folderName = prefix + str(i)
    pth = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), path, folderName)
    sftp.mkdir(pth, mode)

Though you should not use os.path on SFTP paths as your code will break, if run on Windows and other platforms, that does not use / as a path separator. And os.path.expanduser will of course expand ~ to local user home. I do not think you want that.

Obligatory warning: Do not use AutoAddPolicy on its own – You are losing a protection against MITM attacks by doing so. For a correct solution, see Paramiko "Unknown Server".

Answered By: Martin Prikryl

Python os.mkdir still creates folders locally even after connecting to SSH server using Paramiko

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