[QUESTION] Setting up robotcode over remote ssh

[Ktlist]

Please describe.
I'm trying to configure my setup to work over ssh to testing setup, i have been able to make work most of the plugins in the remote instance but RobotCode plugin

in the plugins section the "install in SSH:" button is present but it doesn't fully works:

1. vscode asks for the remote ssh password
2. prompt changes to "installing"
3. there is not output in problems or output consoles
4. after some time it returns to "install in SSH:"

Tried also installing it manually in the remote pc as local plugin but remote session doesn't seems to detect it

I don't know if I'm missing something and i haven't found any kind of guide to setup this specific case

Desktop (please complete the following information):

• VS Code Version: 1.86.1
• RobotCode Version: 0.75.0
• OS: Local: Windows, Remote: Windows
• Python Version: 3.10
• RobotFramework Version: 6.0.2

[Noordsestern]

Hi Ktlist,

thank you for bringing this up. We have not tried using VSCode with RobotCode and the Remote SSH extension.

To verify I understood you correctly: You are this Microsfot extension for developing on a remote host with VSCode+RobotCode, right?

[Ktlist]

correct, i'm using that extension to connect to remote PC
The rest of extensions seem to work fine (I'm having similar problems as with robotcode with the autopep8 but that one is not as critical)

[Ktlist]

Update:

I have spent all day but I found if not a solution a workarround:

I have managed to make it work only using sshkey authentication

(this might be only my case):
the user i was using to authenticate was admin in the target PC (also is different user than the my own, a faceless account)
i had to add the key to the "C:\ProgramData\ssh\administrators_authorized_keys"

what i extract form this is that either:

1. the ssh user need admin privilege at the host system and using password authentication, vscode ssh extension, doesn't provide elevated rights
2. if not needed admin privilege it at least must be using ssh key authentication

I can help in further debug the actual cause behind this if you want

[d-biehl]

RobotCode has not implemented anything that requires admin rights or the like, nor has it implemented any functionality that has anything to do with remote SSH execution. The whole thing is part of VSCode or the Remote Extension. I have used RobotCode in various constellations via SSH and in Docker and devcontainers and have never had any problems. Which is not to say that there are none.
Have you looked at VSCode or VSCode Remote Extension to see if there are similar problems with other extensions? You mentioned autopep8, maybe there is already a solution?

https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-remote-release/issues
https://github.com/microsoft/vscode

[d-biehl]

any news about this issue/question?

[martinezlc99]

@d-biehl @Ktlist FYI - I have robotcode working using a devcontainer and the remote ssh with no issues except the following: the python interpreter robotcode uses does not respect the settings for a remote ssh connection, including devcontainers. I had to remove the python interpreter user setting in order for robotcode to pick up the selection in the remote ssh setting.

I'll try for a small, repeatable scenario and open a new issue if I can repeat.

[d-biehl]

Which setting do you mean? Did mean robotcode.python? This setting is not needed and should only be used if you cannot select a valid python intepreter via the python extension via F1 and then Python: Select interpreter

But what is more interessting, what do you mean with "settings for a remote ssh connection"?

[martinezlc99]

My experience is if a python interpreter is selected in user settings:

then when in the remote, robotcode will use the python path defined in user settings, which doesn't exist on the remote. Clearing the path in user settings fixed the issue.

Again, not sure where the issue is, just sharing my experience.

Great extension by the way.

[d-biehl]

Yes, this is an old setting and comes from a time when the Python extension did not have a public API. It should normally no longer be used. See here for an explanation.

I will deprecate the robotcode.python setting in the next version and then remove it after a while. I am not sure yet if it is necessary to provide a replacement for it, since python provides the python.defaultInterpreterPath.