run remote commands via bash/ssh

gistfile1.bat

# Use this to run SSH Commands on a remote host. Arguments must be global variables before running runRemoteCmds()
# remoteHost string, required
# remoteUser string, required
# remoteKey string, optional
# remoteCmds array of strings, required
#
# Example:
#
# remoteHost="my.server.com"
# remoteUser="sshuser"
# remoteKey="~/.ssh/sshkeyfile.pem"
# remoteCmds=( "cd /var/www/html" "touch file.php" )
# runRemoteCmds
##
function runRemoteCmds ()
{
    local keyFile
    local keyStr=""
    local sshStr
    local cmdStr
    local counter=0

    # Make sure we have needed variables
    if [ -z "$remoteHost" ]; then
        echo 'remoteHost is not defined.  Cannot run remote command(s)'
        exit 1
    fi
    if [ -z "$remoteUser" ]; then
        echo 'remoteUser is not defined.  Cannot run remote command(s)'
        exit 1
    fi
    if [ -n "$remoteKey" ]; then
        # Expand special filename characters like ~ and *
        keyFile=`eval echo $remoteKey`

        if [ ! -r $keyFile ]; then
            echo "SSH Key file $keyFile is not readable.  Cannot run remote command(s)"
            exit 1
        fi

        keyStr="-i $keyFile"
    fi

    # Set up SSH Command string. The -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no ignores the "Continue connecting (yes/no)" prompt
    sshStr="ssh $keyStr -l $remoteUser -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -t -t $remoteHost"

    # Disable BASH command expansion.  Use -x to Enable
    cmdStr='set +x;'

    # Add newline after initial login
    cmdStr=$cmdStr" echo;"

    # Add commands to command string
    while [ -n "${remoteCmds[$counter]}" ]
    do
        # Echo command first, then actually run it.
        cmdStr=$cmdStr" echo '[$remoteUser]# ${remoteCmds[$counter]}'; ${remoteCmds[$counter]};"

        # Add failure testing to this command (optional. Comment out to ignore failed commands)
        cmdStr=$cmdStr' if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then echo "Last command returned an unsuccessful status code. Quitting."; exit 1; fi;'

        (( counter++ ))
    done

    cmdStr=$cmdStr" exit;"

    # Finally, send commands to SSH
    echo $cmdStr | $sshStr
}