linux - ssh script returns 255 error

Question

In my code I have the following to run a remote script.

ssh root@host.domain.com "sh /home/user/backup_mysql.sh"

For some reason it keeps 255'ing on me. Any ideas?

I can SSH into the box just fine (passless keys setup)

REMOTE SCRIPT:

MUSER='root' 
MPASS='123123'
MHOST="127.0.0.1"
VERBOSE=0

### Set bins path ###
GZIP=/bin/gzip
MYSQL=/usr/bin/mysql
MYSQLDUMP=/usr/bin/mysqldump
RM=/bin/rm
MKDIR=/bin/mkdir
MYSQLADMIN=/usr/bin/mysqladmin
GREP=/bin/grep

### Setup dump directory ###
BAKRSNROOT=/.snapshots/tmp

#####################################
### ----[ No Editing below ]------###
#####################################
### Default time format ###
TIME_FORMAT='%H_%M_%S%P'

### Make a backup ###
backup_mysql_rsnapshot(){
        local DBS="$($MYSQL -u $MUSER -h $MHOST -p$MPASS -Bse 'show databases')"
        local db="";
        [ ! -d $BAKRSNROOT ] && ${MKDIR} -p $BAKRSNROOT
        ${RM} -f $BAKRSNROOT/* >/dev/null 2>&1
#       [ $VERBOSE -eq 1 ] && echo "*** Dumping MySQL Database ***"
#       [ $VERBOSE -eq 1 ] && echo -n "Database> "
        for db in $DBS
        do
                local tTime=$(date +"${TIME_FORMAT}")
                local FILE="${BAKRSNROOT}/${db}.${tTime}.gz"
#               [ $VERBOSE -eq 1 ] && echo -n "$db.."
                ${MYSQLDUMP} --single-transaction -u ${MUSER} -h ${MHOST} -p${MPASS} $db | ${GZIP} -9 > $FILE
        done
#               [ $VERBOSE -eq 1 ] && echo ""
#               [ $VERBOSE -eq 1 ] && echo "*** Backup done [ files wrote to $BAKRSNROOT] ***"
}

### Die on demand with message ###
die(){
        echo "$@"
        exit 999
}

### Make sure bins exists.. else die
verify_bins(){
        [ ! -x $GZIP ] && die "File $GZIP does not exists. Make sure correct path is set in $0."
        [ ! -x $MYSQL ] && die "File $MYSQL does not exists. Make sure correct path is set in $0."
        [ ! -x $MYSQLDUMP ] && die "File $MYSQLDUMP does not exists. Make sure correct path is set in $0."
        [ ! -x $RM ] && die "File $RM does not exists. Make sure correct path is set in $0."
        [ ! -x $MKDIR ] && die "File $MKDIR does not exists. Make sure correct path is set in $0."
        [ ! -x $MYSQLADMIN ] && die "File $MYSQLADMIN does not exists. Make sure correct path is set in $0."
        [ ! -x $GREP ] && die "File $GREP does not exists. Make sure correct path is set in $0."
}

### Make sure we can connect to server ... else die
verify_mysql_connection(){
        $MYSQLADMIN  -u $MUSER -h $MHOST -p$MPASS ping | $GREP 'alive'>/dev/null
        [ $? -eq 0 ] || die "Error: Cannot connect to MySQL Server. Make sure username and password are set correctly in $0"
}

### main ####
verify_bins
verify_mysql_connection
backup_mysql_rsnapshot

Answer 1

This is usually happens when the remote is down/unavailable; or the remote machine doesn't have ssh installed; or a firewall doesn't allow a connection to be established to the remote host.

ssh returns 255 when an error occurred or 255 is returned by the remote script:

 EXIT STATUS

     ssh exits with the exit status of the remote command or
     with 255 if an error occurred.

Usually you would an error message something similar to:

ssh: connect to host host.domain.com port 22: No route to host

Or

ssh: connect to host HOSTNAME port 22: Connection refused

Check-list:

• What happens if you run the ssh command directly from the command line?

• Are you able to ping that machine?

• Does the remote has ssh installed?

• If installed, then is the ssh service running?