JNUC2019 Lab Session C Connecting

Hands On, Real-time Classic API Using ruby-jss

Lab Session Contents - 2 - IRB and Connecting to the JSS

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Jumping into IRB

• Switch to Terminal window
• run irb

% irb
irb(main):001:0>

A little about irb

• irb stands for Interactive Ruby, a realtime ruby interpreter

  • you can type ruby code into it - just like you type bash code into a shell.

• Enter a line of ruby code, it runs and displays the 'return value' after a =>

• For clarity & easier copy-pasting, in this document:

  • the irb examples will use no prompt
  • example output will start with a #, so irb will ignore it if you paste it in.
  • WARNING: Don't copy/paste lines where you need to create a new uniq name, or use one you created earlier

require ruby-jss

• In irb, tell ruby that you want to use ruby-jss:

require 'ruby-jss'
# => true

• Don't worry if you ever require returns false - the thing has already been required.

• Ruby is now aware of a module called JSS which contains all of the ruby-jss.

• While we're requiring, lets do this

require 'pp'
# => true

• 'Pretty Print' allows us to examine ruby objects in irb in a more readable format.

• Lots of my ruby commands will end with ;0

  • Makes the irb responses even easier to read.
  • When writing scripts there's no need to do it.

connecting to the Classic API

JSS.api.connect server: 'tryitout.jamfcloud.com', user: 'jnuc2019', pw: :prompt

# Enter the password for JSS user jnuc2019@tryitout.jamfcloud.com:
# => "tryitout.jamfcloud.com"

• enter anything you'd like for the password

Here's what we did:

• The JSS module has a method (function) api that returns the default APIConnection

• The APIConnection has a method connect that takes the parameters needed to connect to the server

• We call that method with the server name, user name, and we tell it to prompt us for the password

  • If you know the password, you can pass it directly, in quotes. Just beware of security issues.

• If the password is correct, the connection is made, and the connect method returns the server name.

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