Open an interactive SSH session to a Lagerbox, or run a single command on it
and return.
Syntax
lager ssh [OPTIONS] [COMMAND]...
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|
--box BOX | Lagerbox name or IP address |
Arguments
| Argument | Description |
|---|
COMMAND | Optional command to run on the box. If omitted, an interactive shell is opened. |
Usage
# SSH to specific Lager Box (interactive shell)
lager ssh --box my-lager-box
# SSH to default Lager Box
lager ssh
Run a command on the box
With a COMMAND, lager ssh behaves like ssh user@host <command>: it runs
the command on the box, streams its output back, and exits with the command’s
exit code — no interactive shell. This is handy for scripting and one-off
checks.
# Run a single command and return
lager ssh --box lab-lager-box -- cat /etc/lager/version
# Flags pass through; use `--` to separate them from lager's own options
lager ssh --box lab-lager-box -- ls -la /etc/lager
# Inspect the running containers
lager ssh --box lab-lager-box -- sudo docker ps
Use -- to separate lager’s options from the remote command whenever the
command contains its own dashed flags, so they aren’t parsed as lager
options. The remote command’s exit code is propagated as lager ssh’s exit
code, so it composes cleanly in scripts.
How It Works
The command:
- Resolves the Lager Box name to IP address
- Looks up the SSH username (default:
lagerdata)
- Opens an interactive SSH session
Username Resolution
SSH usernames are resolved in order:
- Username stored with box configuration (
lager boxes add --user)
- Default username:
lagerdata
To use a different username for a Lager Box:
# Configure username when adding box
lager boxes add --name pi-lager-box --ip <BOX_IP> --user pi
# Or edit existing box
lager boxes edit --name pi-lager-box --user pi
SSH Key Setup
For passwordless access, set up SSH keys:
# Generate key if needed
ssh-keygen -t ed25519
# Copy to Lager Box
ssh-copy-id lagerdata@<box-ip>
Examples
# Quick interactive SSH access
lager ssh --box my-lager-box
# One-off commands (no interactive shell)
lager ssh --box my-lager-box -- cat /etc/lager/version
lager ssh --box my-lager-box -- sudo docker ps
lager ssh --box my-lager-box -- sudo ufw status
Common Tasks via SSH
Each of these can be run as a one-liner with lager ssh --box <box> -- <command>,
or interactively after lager ssh --box <box>.
Check Container Status
lager ssh --box my-lager-box -- sudo docker ps -a
lager ssh --box my-lager-box -- sudo docker logs controller --tail 100
View Lager Box Version
lager ssh --box my-lager-box -- cat /etc/lager/version
Check Disk Space
lager ssh --box my-lager-box -- df -h
View Firewall Status
lager ssh --box my-lager-box -- sudo ufw status verbose
Notes
- With no
COMMAND, opens a fully interactive shell session (exit with exit or Ctrl+D)
- With a
COMMAND, runs it on the box and exits with the command’s exit code
- The session runs as a child process so Lager’s cleanup hooks still fire
- Default Lager Box is used if
--box not specified
