xxh/README.md

<p align="center">You chosen a command shell and spent months to stuffed it with shortcuts and colors. But when you move from local to remote host using ssh you lose it all. The mission of xxh is to bring your favorite shell wherever you go through the ssh.</p>
<p align="center">No installations or root access on the host required.</p>
<p align="center">  
  <a href="https://pypi.org/project/xxh-xxh/" target="_blank"><img src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/xxh-xxh.svg" alt="[release]"></a>
  <a href="https://gitter.im/xxh-xxh/community?utm_source=badge&utm_medium=badge&utm_campaign=pr-badge" target="_blank"><img alt="[gitter chat]" src="https://badges.gitter.im/xxh-xxh/community.svg"></a>
  <img alt="[BSD license]" src="https://img.shields.io/pypi/l/xxh-xxh">
</p>
<p align="center">  
If you like the idea of xxh click ⭐ on the repo and spread the word.
</p>

## Installation methods
#### PyPi 3
```shell script
pip3 install -U xxh-xxh
```

#### Linux portable binary
```
mkdir ~/xxh && cd ~/xxh
wget https://github.com/xxh/xxh-portable/raw/master/result/xxh-portable-musl-alpine-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz
tar -xzf xxh-portable-musl-alpine-Linux-x86_64.tar.gz
./xxh
```

#### AppImage
```
mkdir ~/xxh && cd ~/xxh
wget -O xxh https://github.com/xxh/xxh-appimage/releases/download/continuous/xxh-release-x86_64.AppImage
chmod +x xxh && ./xxh
```
To use seamless mode run `./xxh ++extract-sourcing-files` to extract `xxh.*sh` files to the current directory then run `source xxh.zsh myhost` command for seamless connecting.

## Supported shells
| xxh-shell-`...`                                                       | status     | seamless    | plugins | demo |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|------------|-------------|---------|------|
| **[xonsh-appimage](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-shell-xonsh-appimage)** | stable     | `xxh.xsh`   | [pipeliner](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-xonsh-pipe-liner), [bar](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-xonsh-theme-bar), [autojump](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-xonsh-autojump), [sample](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-xonsh-sample) | <a href="https://asciinema.org/a/osSEzqnmH9pMYEZibNe2K7ZL7" target="_blank"><img alt="[demo xonsh]" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/demo-xonsh-grass"></a> | 
| **[zsh](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-shell-zsh)**                       | stable     | `xxh.zsh`   | [ohmyzsh](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-zsh-ohmyzsh), [p10k](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-zsh-powerlevel10k), [sample](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-zsh-sample) | <a href="https://asciinema.org/a/rCiT9hXQ5IdwqOwg6rifyFZzb" target="_blank"><img alt="[demo zsh]" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/demo-zsh-grass"></a> |
| **[fish](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-shell-fish)**                     | prestable  |             | [sample](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-fish-sample) | |
| **[bash-zero](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-shell-bash-zero)**           | prestable  | `xxh.bash`  | [ohmybash](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-bash-ohmybash), [vim sample](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-bash-vim) | <a href="https://asciinema.org/a/314508" target="_blank"><img alt="[demo bash]" src="https://img.shields.io/badge/demo-bash-grass"></a> |
| **[osquery](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-shell-osquery)**               | beta       |             | | |
| **[fish-appimage](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-shell-fish-appimage)**   | alpha      |             | | |

The "zero" means the shell installed on host will be used.

[Search xxh shell on Github](https://github.com/search?q=xxh-shell&type=Repositories) or [Bitbucket](https://bitbucket.org/repo/all?name=xxh-shell) or [create your shell entrypoint](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-shell-sample) to use another portable shell.  

## Usage
Use `xxh` as replace `ssh` to connecting to the host without changing ssh arguments:
```
xxh <host from ~/.ssh/config>
xxh [ssh arguments] [user@]host[:port] [xxh arguments]
xxh [+I xxh-package ...] [+L] [+RI xxh-package ...] [+R xxh-package ...]
```
Common examples (use `xxh --help` to get info about arguments):
```yaml
xxh myhost                                       # connect to the host
xxh -i id_rsa -p 2222 myhost                     # using ssh arguments: port and key
xxh myhost +s zsh                                # set the shell
xxh myhost +s xonsh-appimage +hhh "~"            # set /home/user as home directory (read Q&A)
xxh myhost +s bash-zero +I xxh-plugin-bash-vim   # preinstall the plugin
xxh myhost +if +q                                # install without questions in quiet mode
xxh myhost +hh /tmp/xxh +hhr                     # upload xxh to /tmp/xxh and remove when disconnect 
source xxh.zsh myhost +I xxh-plugin-zsh-ohmyzsh  # connect in seamless mode with ohmyzsh plugin
```
To reusing arguments there is `~/.config/xxh/config.xxhc` config file in [YAML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAML) format:
```yaml
hosts:
  ".*":                       # for all hosts
    +s: xxh-shell-fish          # use fish shell

  myhost:                     # settings for myhost
    -p: 2222                    # set special port
    +s: xxh-shell-zsh           # use zsh shell                         
    +I: xxh-shell-zsh           # install xxh-shell if needed
    +I: xxh-plugin-zsh-ohmyzsh  # install xxh-plugin if needed
    +e: ZSH_THEME="clean"       # set ohmyzsh theme
    +hhh: "~"                   # set /home/user as home directory

  "company-.*":               # for all hosts by regex pattern
    +if:                        # don't asking about install
    +s: xonsh-appimage          # use xonsh shell
    +hh: /tmp/.xxh              # use special xxh home directory
    +hhr:                       # remove host xxh home after disconnect
```
The arguments will be automatically added when you run `xxh myhost` or `xxh company-server1`. 

If you add `+I` arguments with appropriate xxh packages you can make your config file complete and simplify the usage command to `xxh myhost`.

## The ideas behind xxh
**Portable**. By default building occurs locally and then xxh uploads the result to host. No installations or root access on the host required. The security and careful about environment on the host are behind it. 

**Careful**. No blindfold copying config files from local to remote host. The privacy and repeatability reasons are behind it. Every xxh package, shell or plugin is the bridge that use only what required, no more.

**Hermetic**. If you delete `~/.xxh` directory from the remote host then xxh has never been on the host. If files appears outside xxh home directory feel free to report about this cases.

**Fork-ready**. Every repo could be forked, customized and used without waiting of package management system, xxh releases or any third party.

**Do more**. The xxh packages are not only about shells. Any type of tool or code could be behind "shell entrypoint". If you want to play Super Mario on the remote host just put it as entrypoint.

**Be open**. Currently supported five shells and the count could be grow by community.

## Q&A

### How it works?

When you run `xxh myhost` command xxh download portable shell and store locally to future use. Then if it needed xxh upload the portable shell, init scripts and plugins to the host. Finally xxh make ssh connection to the host and run portable shell without any system installs, root access and affection on the target host.

### How to set `/home/user` as home instead of `/home/user/.xxh`? 

Add `+hhh '~'` argument to the command or to `config.xxhc`. 

By default xxh uses hermetic environment where `$HOME` is `/home/user/.xxh`. When you add `+hhh '~'` argument 
you set `$HOME` to your orinary user home directory. Note that [XDG](https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html) 
directories are still in `/home/user/.xxh`. This is semihermetic because any tools you use during xxh session 
that aren't support XDG can write to your home directory. 

Finally when you don't need hermetization and you want to use xxh like ssh just add two arguments:  `+hhh '~' +hhx '~'`.
By this way you set the [XDG](https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html) 
directories to user home and any tools you use during ssh and xxh will have the same data, configs and cache. 

### What is seamless mode?

When you run `source xxh.**** myhost` the script get the environment variables and 
bring it to the xxh session. For example if you are in Oh My Zsh with `agnoster` theme with `(git docker ubuntu)` 
plugins then command `xxh +I xxh-plugin-zsh-ohmyzsh && source xxh.zsh myhost` brings you to `myhost` with appropriate theme and plugins.

### What about speed?

The first connection takes time for downloading and uploading portable shell. It depends on portable shell size and channel speed. But when xxh is installed on the host and you do just `xxh myhost` then it works as ordinary ssh connection speed plus speed of initializing the shell you used. You could monitor all process using `+vv` argument.

### What if my `host_internal` can be reached only from my `host_external`?
 
Add `ProxyCommand` or `ProxyJump` to your ssh config [as described](https://superuser.com/questions/96489/an-ssh-tunnel-via-multiple-hops#answer-170592) and then do ordinary `xxh host_internal`.

### What is xxh plugin? 

It is the set of scripts which will be run on the host when you go using xxh. It could be shell settings, aliases, environment variables, frameworks, extensions, color themes and everything you need. You can find the links to plugins on [xxh-shells repos](https://github.com/search?q=xxh%2Fxxh-shell&type=Repositories). Feel free to fork it.

## Use cases
### Python everywhere with xonsh
When you run `xxh myhost +s xonsh-appimage` you'll get portable python, pip and python-powered shell on the host without any system installations on the host. Add plugins: [autojump](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-xonsh-autojump) saves time, [pipeliner](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-xonsh-pipe-liner) manipulates lines and [bar](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-xonsh-theme-bar) looks nice. 

### Oh My Zsh seamless SSH ([demo](https://asciinema.org/a/rCiT9hXQ5IdwqOwg6rifyFZzb))
```shell script
source xxh.zsh myhost +I xxh-plugin-zsh-ohmyzsh +if +q 
```
This command brings your current Oh My Zsh session theme to the xxh session. If you need more complex settings just fork the [xxh-plugin-zsh-ohmyzsh](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-plugin-zsh-ohmyzsh) and hack it.

### Read host as a table with osquery
```
$ xxh myhost +s osquery
osquery> SELECT * FROM users WHERE username='news';
+-----+-----+----------+-------------+-----------------+-------------------+
| uid | gid | username | description | directory       | shell             |
+-----+-----+----------+-------------+-----------------+-------------------+
| 9   | 9   | news     | news        | /var/spool/news | /usr/sbin/nologin |
+-----+-----+----------+-------------+-----------------+-------------------+
```   

### All in one portable home
The xxh is very agile. You can create your own `xxh-shell` (shell word means it has entrypoint) which has any portable tools
that you could help you on the host. [Bash-zero](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-shell-bash-zero) xxh-shell is one of this platforms that could be forked and stuffed.

## Development
In the [xxh-dev](https://github.com/xxh/xxh-dev) repo there is full [docker](https://www.docker.com/)ised environment for development, testing and contribution. The process of testing and development is orchestrated by `xde` tool and as easy as possible.

Use custom source to install your version of xxh packages:
```shell script
xxh +I xxh-shell-sample+git+https://github.com/xxh/xxh-shell-sample
xxh +I xxh-shell-sample+path+/home/user/my-xxh-dev/xxh-shell-sample
xxh myhost +s xxh-shell-sample
``` 

**We have teams.** If you're in team it does not oblige to do something. The main goal of teams is to create group of passionate people who could help or support in complex questions. Some people could be expert in one shell and newbie in another shell and mutual assistance is the key to xxh evolution. [Ask join.](https://github.com/xxh/xxh/issues/50)

## Thanks
* **niess** for great [linuxdeploy-plugin-python](https://github.com/niess/linuxdeploy-plugin-python/) 
* **probonopd** and **TheAssassin** for hard-working [AppImage](https://github.com/AppImage)
* **Roman Perepelitsa** for incredible [statically-linked, hermetic, relocatable Zsh](https://github.com/romkatv/zsh-bin) 
* **Anthony Scopatz**, **Gil Forsyth**, **Jamie Bliss**, **David Strobach**, **Morten Enemark Lund** and **@xore** for amazing [xonsh](https://github.com/xonsh/xonsh) shell