ssh2: hyperlinks don't use tabs or sessions

[dereksmall]

I have created a number of visio diagrams of our network, which are all published as web pages and linked together. Each of the network devices in the diagrams has several hyperlinks; to retrieve data from our network database, to link to the device in our NMS system, or to open an ssh session. I have always used a differant app for telnet/ssh, which automatically mapped to ssh:// URLs. I found the issue with SecureCRT using only ssh1:// and ssh2://, and updated all the links so the other team members who use SecureCRT can now open sesssions just by clicking on a device, however we still have two problems with SecureCRT that I cannot find a fix for.

First, when you click on a link to open an ssh sesssion, SecureCRT opens a new window every time you click on a new link. My other app allows me pick if I want to use a tabbed interface or seperate windows, and if you pick tabbed, think clicking on ssh links like this, just opens the session in a new tab. Is there a way to do this with SecureCRT?

Second, when you open a connection to a device like this (via an ssh2:// URL), the connection is only opened as a quick connection, it doesn't open it as a saved/savable session. Me and my team members have a need to save some hotkeys differantly for differant devices, but without the connection opening with saved session settings, that isn't possible. Is there a way to have SecureCRT launch, after clicking on something like "ssh2://myhost" and open session "myhost"?

I've used my other app for years, but as the shop I now work in uses SecureCRT, I'm trying to give it a chance and make sure my whole team can use the site I've built as convieniently as I can.

Thanks

[bgagnon]

Hello dereksmall,

What version of SecureCRT is in use by your team?

The solution to both your questions requires the ability to use command-line arguments in your URLs. That means you would have to use a wrapper script.

See attached example scripts.

[bgagnon]

Hello dereksmall,

A colleague pointed out that you were making ad hoc connections. The example script attached illustrates how ad hoc connections can be saved as sessions.

Sorry for putting the cart before the horse.

[dereksmall]

I've seen this approach, but editing the registry to change the default handler is not an option for us (for several reasons). Making changes to the client system is just not an option for us.

The only thing I can think of that might work is if I could create an ASP that would lauch SecureCRT on the client machine, but doubt I could get through the security our support group has put in place to prevent such a thing (assuming the current versions of IE are even capable of lanching an EXE from an ASP).

What I really need is a radio button in SecureCRT, (something like "Use session connections only"). When checked, if you open SecureCRT without specifying a session, SecureCRT will automatically try to match up the IP address or hostname you are trying to connect to, to an existing session. If there is no match, then SecureCRT would just automatically create a session with the IP address or hostname as the session name. It wouldn't be that differant than how you handle certs for new or previously connected devices.

[bgagnon]

Hello dereksmall,

I have added this thread to the following feature requests in our product enhancement database:

• Provide a way to save ad hoc sessions
  
  
• Ability to use saved session if same hostname is used when connecting via URL (create session if not)

Should a future release of SecureCRT include either feature, notification will be posted here.

If you prefer direct email notification, contact support@vandyke.com and include "Feature Request - Forum Thread #11651" in the subject line.

(Derek, I already added your contact info from our email correspondence.)

As far as the original issues you were trying to address, there still may be some workarounds to explore.

What version of SecureCRT is your team using?

If v7.2.x, are you using the new "split config" functionality to share a config?

Changes in SecureCRT 7.2 (Beta 1) -- October 8, 2013
----------------------------------------------------

New features:

• Windows: Added a Session Manager that can be used in place of the modal Connect dialog. The Session Manager can be in a pane in the SecureCRT window or can be an undocked modeless dialog.
• Added a global option to store personal data such as usernames and passwords in a location separate from the rest of the session data, which allows personal data to be kept private while other configuration data is stored on a network drive or on the cloud so that it can be used on different systems or shared with colleagues.

[dereksmall]

We are using the latest version, 7.2.6. I did see where you can store personal info in a seperate config file, and wondered about that. I've used a file:// URL in the past to link to a .conf file, but the shared config file is a .ini file. If there were a specific file type for SecureCRT sessions (like say .scrt), I could use a hyper link like "file://Group-Share/SecureCRT-Sessions/Router01.scrt" assuming that "Router01.scrt" was was the name of a SecureCRT session file. I'm fine with using shared sessions files (I'll have to ask the rest of the group), but I still don't see where that would help being able to launch sessions as tabs from a web-page.

Sorry if I'm being dense.

[bgagnon]

Hello dereksmall,

Sorry for the misunderstanding. The clarifying questions were meant to explore other options for the first issue you posted about:

First, when you click on a link to open an ssh sesssion, SecureCRT opens a new window every time you click on a new link. My other app allows me pick if I want to use a tabbed interface or seperate windows, and if you pick tabbed, think clicking on ssh links like this, just opens the session in a new tab. Is there a way to do this with SecureCRT?

Even if you cannot use the /T option in your URLs to open sessions in a tab, you can make a change to the Global.ini file that will force SecureCRT to only open one instance.

The Global.ini file is stored in the configuration folder. The location of your installation's Configuration folder is found in the General / Configuration Paths category of SecureCRT's Global Options.

*Close SecureCRT before editing the Global.ini file*

Change (and save):
D:"Single Instance"=00000000
to:
D:"Single Instance"=00000001

I think, perhaps, you misunderstand the split config functionality I referenced. The reason it relates to the above workaround is to determine if all members of your team will need to make the change or if there is one, shared Global.ini file that would need changed.


To clarify though, the functionality is, essentially, SecureCRT's config (in a shared location) minus the sensitive data that can, potentially, be saved within sessions (which are, in turn, session INI files that are found in the Sessions subfolder of the config folder). Only the personal (local) copy of those session INI files would have the sensitive data (username, password, logon actions).

The functionality is probably best explained by the videos available on our YouTube channel.

Personal Config Data series
Personal Config Data: 1) Separating Personal from Common Data
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbPPGm6cyzE

Personal Config Data: 2) Using Separate Config Folders
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjHTcThYl-c

Personal Config Data: 3) Reverting Back to a Single Config Folder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMfhzW54lKs