RFE: Change directory when opening PuTTY session :: Support Forum

Hello, thanks for entertaining this option. I would be also very interested in automatically opening a putty session in the same directory as it is currently viewed in WinScp.

How about using a file to transfer the target directory to the target machine?

Example:
~/.winscptargetdir

The user has to append the own .cshrc (.bashrc ...) on the target machine with:

set WINSCP_FNAME=$HOME/.winscptargetdir
if ( -f $WINSCP_FNAME) then
  cd `cat $WINSCP_FNAME`
  rm -f $WINSCP_FNAME
endif

Hence, before launching putty, WinScp creates the file in the user's home dir (it knows home dir already) with content of the target dir. Then, when the ssh session is established and initializes through .cshrc, it picks up the directory and deletes the file.

On regular login's the file will not be present and default behavior is not altered.

What can go wrong? Worst case if ssh session does not work out, the user would be redirected once to an old directory next time the user logs in normally (acceptable risk to me).

Thanks
Gunar

PS: Shell code to put into user ~/.*rc file depends on user shell.

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Gunar Guest

Re: RFE: Change directory when opening PuTTY session

2011-07-20 02:34

Hello,

I tried my own suggestion above using the custom commands and it works nicely!

Added a custom remote command "SSHDir":

echo !/ > ~/.winscptargetdir

Now, I just trigger the "SSHDir" command first (from toolbar), and then click on Putty button.

These two clicks get me into a putty ssh shell in the target directory -- NICE.

Certainly, an integration into WinSCP would be nicer.

Thanks in advance,
Gunar

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martin◆ Site Admin

Re: RFE: Change directory when opening PuTTY session

2011-07-20

Thanks for your suggestion!

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Bryanhoop Guest

My take on it

2011-08-09 22:11

In .bashrc:

if [ -f $HOME/pwdputtyscript.sh ]
then
source $HOME/pwdputtyscript.sh
cd $WINSCP
rm -f $HOME/pwdputtyscript.sh
fi

In WinSCP commands:

echo WINSCP=!/ > ~/pwdputtyscript.sh

[/quote]

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puttyperson2012 Guest

c#.net workaround

2012-02-03 00:18

I wrote a little c# app to help with this, if anybody is interested. The steps were:

1. modify your .bashrc as mentioned above (i changed the variable name):

if [ -f $HOME/pwdputtyscript.sh ]
then
  source $HOME/pwdputtyscript.sh
  cd $PUTTYSTARTDIR
  rm -f $HOME/pwdputtyscript.sh
fi

2. Add a custom command in WinSCP to say: "C:\mydir\WinSCPPutty.exe" !U !P !@ !/
and give it a shortcut like Shift+Ctrl+Alt+P

3. Make a c# console app with the following in Program.cs:

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.IO;
using System.Diagnostics;

namespace WinSCPPutty
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            //args = [user pass host dir]
            string user, pass, host, dir;
            if (args.Length < 3)
                return;

            if (args.Length < 4)
                dir = "~";

            user = args[0];
            pass = args[1];
            host = args[2];
            dir = args[3];

            try
            {

                string puttyexe = @"C:\Program Files (x86)\PuTTY\putty.exe"; //you'll need to edit the putty location as needed
                string filename = System.IO.Path.GetTempPath() + "cdputty.txt";

                string txt = "echo PUTTYSTARTDIR=" + dir + " > ~/pwdputtyscript.sh";

                string logintxt = user + "@" + host + " -pw " + pass;
                File.WriteAllText(filename, txt);

                ProcessStartInfo ps = new ProcessStartInfo(puttyexe, logintxt + " -m \"" + filename + "\"");
                ps.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
                Process p = Process.Start(ps);
                p.WaitForExit();

                File.Delete(filename);

                Process.Start(puttyexe, logintxt);
            }
            catch (Exception)
            {
            }
        }
    }
}

note: after creating the project, I noticed that setting project properties to output a "windows application" instead of console kept it from popping up unnecessary windows.

Now when you click the shortcut, it calls that new EXE and feeds it your current username, password, host, and current dir. The EXE then launches putty once (invisibly) to create the ~/pwdputtyscript.sh on the remote computer. It then launches putty, logs you in, and the .bashrc stuff brings you to the correct directory and cleans everything up. Importantly, no information about your username or password are ever saved in any file... they're all being transmitted between applications as arguments.

It's a hack to be sure, but it does the job.

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martin◆ Site Admin

Re: c#.net workaround

2012-02-13

puttyperson2012 wrote:

I wrote a little c# app to help with this, if anybody is interested.

Thanks for sharing this!

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Guest

2018-08-02 15:35

I have found this page where it is solved: <removed by admin>

I enhanced it a little bit for my needs;

%ProgramFiles%\PuTTY\putty.exe -t -m "%TEMP%\putty.txt" !`cmd.exe /c echo cd "!/" ; $($SHELL) > "%TEMP%\putty.txt"`

Remark
I use PuTTY as installed program not the portable version

So what does it do?
It creates a temporary file putty.txt in you temporary directory.
This will contain the commands which are to be called on the remote server

Example: