python-remote-object

Python TCP server and client which allows clients to make calls and get returns from a python object instantiated on the server.

This package was originally developed to be used along side pyUSB, serial, pyVISA, etc, where an external hardware component could be connected to a computer for which a python-based API for the component already existed. This package could then take an instance of that python driver, and allow other computers (potentially off-site) to make API calls and so control the external hardware remotely.

For example, one could connect a raspberry pi up to their digital oscilloscope via usb, and now your oscilloscope is "wifi-enabled"

Security Note

ONLY INTERACT WITH SERVERS THAT YOU TRUST. The remote_object.client.Client object uses pickle.load to deserialize data and objects from the server. This process is able to execute arbitrary code on your machine. This can easily be exploited by malicious agents to compromise your system. The pickle library, and by extension python-remote-object, leave it to the user to make wise decisions about what they chose to unpickle. Be smart.

Installation

Pip

To get the current stable version, install using pip:

 $ pip3 install remote_object

Development Version

To get the development version, clone this repo, then inside the folder create a python3 virtual environment, activate it, and install using setuptools:

 $ python3 -m venv venv
 $ source venv/bin/activate
 (venv) $ python3 setup.py install

Basic Use

If you have an instance of a python object, pyobj, using the base server class remote_object.server.Server will allow you to create a TCP server which hosts pyobj.

On the client end, you must create an instance of the remote_object.client.Client object pointed at the server's address and port. By default, calling a method on the Client instance will pass that call across the TCP connection to the server, where the Server instance will make that method call on pyobj. Any errors or return values will then be passed back to the Client instance and raised or returned respectively.

For example, the server might look like:

from remote_object.server import Server

HOST, PORT = 'your-ip-address', 9999

class Test:
    def __init__(self):
        self.a = "attribute a"

    def __repr__(self):
        return "<Test Class>"

    def b(self,message):
        return "method b: " + message

with Server((HOST, PORT),Test()) as server:
    server.serve_forever()

The client might then look like:

from remote_object.server import Client

with Client(HOST, PORT) as client:
    print(client) # prints: <Remote Wrapper <Test Class>>    
    print(client.a()) # prints "attribute a"
    print(client.b("Hello!")) # prints "method b: Hello!"
    print(client.c()) # raises AttributeError

Note here that attributes are treated like methods without arguments, and attempting to call method which does not exist will raise an AttributeError.

See examples/errors for additional info.

Development

For development, clone this directory, then have fun! Pro-tip: setup a python virtual environment in the main directory:

 $ python3 -m venv venv
 $ source venv/bin/activate

Installing

 (venv) $ python3 setup.py install

Creating source packages

 (venv) $ python3 setup.py sdist bdist_wheel

Uploading to PyPI

 (venv) $ python3 -m twine upload dist/*

See: [https://packaging.python.org/tutorials/packaging-projects/]