on(NC)

on -- execute a command remotely

Syntax

on [ -i ] [ -n ] [ -d ] host command [ argument ] ...

Description

The on command is used to execute commands on another system, in an environment similar to that invoking the command. All environment variables are passed and the current working directory is preserved. To preserve the working directory, the working filesystem must be either already mounted on the host or be exported to it. Relative pathnames will only work if they are within the current filesystem; absolute pathnames may cause problems.

Standard input is connected to standard input of the remote command; standard output and standard error from the remote command are sent to the corresponding files for the on command.

Options

-i: interactive mode: use remote echoing and special character processing. This option is needed for programs that expect to be talking to a terminal. All terminal modes and window size changes are propagated.
-n: no input: this option causes the remote program to get end-of-file when it reads from standard input, instead of passing standard input from the standard input of the on command. For example, -n is necessary when running commands in the background with job control.
-d: debug mode: print out messages as work is being done

Diagnostics

unknown host: host name not found
cannot connect to server: host down or not running the server
cannot find .: problem finding the working directory
cannot locate mount point: problem finding current filesystem

Other error messages may be passed back from the server.

Limitations