Automation

Output rules

The Automation section holds rules that watch terminal output line by line. Each rule has a regular expression, an action and a scope: all sessions, a group (and its subgroups) or a host.

• Highlight colors the matching text.
• Notify shows a notification (a system notification when Shellvane is in the background), optionally with a sound. Clicking it brings the pane to the front.
• Respond types an answer when a prompt appears.

Lines you type yourself never trigger rules: typing echo panic: does not match panic:, but the command's output does. Use Test in the editor to try a pattern on a sample line. Rules apply to sessions opened after a change.

Open Automation

Automatic responses

A respond rule types fixed text or a vault credential (e.g. a sudo password), then Enter if chosen. Because the server's output triggers it:

• it can only apply to a group or a host, never to everything;
• at most 3 responses per minute per rule;
• never in panes that receive broadcast input;
• every response is written to the audit log (never the secret).

Startup scripts

The Startup commands field of a host or group is a small script. Plain lines are typed after login, as before; these steps add control:

• expect <regex> waits until the output matches (default timeout 15 s);
• timeout <seconds> changes the timeout of the following expects;
• wait <seconds> pauses;
• sendSecret <vault scope> types a vault credential and presses Enter;
• send <text> types a line (useful when it starts with one of these words);
• # … is a comment.

Example:

expect \$ $
cd /srv/app
sudo -v
expect password for
sendSecret sudo:web

If a step fails, a notification tells which one; the shell stays usable.

Audit log

The Audit log tab lists what automation did, newest first, and exports it as CSV or JSON.