Add optional remote scripting server (Tools -> Remote Scripting...)#105
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Add optional remote scripting server (Tools -> Remote Scripting...)#105thomdehoog wants to merge 2 commits into
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mesoSPIM-control has no external control interface: everything runs in-process inside the Qt event loop. The Script Window already runs Python in the live Core context (self == Core); this makes that reachable from another process over a socket, so external tools can script the microscope with the full mesoSPIM Python API. Text in, console text out -- no command vocabulary, no data format. - mesoSPIM_RemoteScripting.py (new): a signal-driven QTcpServer that, for each received script, runs the EXISTING Core.execute_script and returns its captured console output. Length-framed UTF-8. Optional shared token (first frame, constant-time compare over UTF-8 bytes) gates access. A script's console is captured PER-THREAD, so its output is returned without swapping the process-wide stdout/stderr out from under the other threads. A dropped/crashed client cannot crash mesoSPIM (the disconnect teardown is guarded against an already-reclaimed socket). - mesoSPIM_Core: start_remote_scripting(host, port, token) / stop slots, invoked via a queued connection so the server lives on the Core's thread (where execute_script runs), plus a sig_remote_scripting_started(ok, message) signal so a bind failure is reported rather than shown as a false "running". - mesoSPIM_MainWindow: a "Tools -> Remote Scripting..." menu entry (added in code, no .ui change) with a Start/Stop dialog (host/port/token + generator); reflects the real start outcome; stops on app close. OFF BY DEFAULT and secure-by-default: the server never runs until an operator starts it from Tools -> Remote Scripting...; the dialog binds 127.0.0.1, pre-fills a fresh token, and warns before any network bind without a token. A script is arbitrary Python on the acquisition PC; this is plain TCP, so the token gates casual LAN access, it is not sniffer-proof (tunnel it for untrusted networks). Validated against -D demo mode (both v1.20.0 and release/candidate-py312): started from the GUI signal path, a client authenticates, reads state, drives the demo stage, gets structured output via print(json), runs an acquisition, and sees a raising script's traceback as text (no crash). execute_script is reused unmodified.
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PR #105 (mesoSPIM/mesoSPIM-control) picked up a second, purely additive commit after this branch last touched pull_request/: Add remote scripting full demo test, adding mesoSPIM/scripts/remote_scripting_full_test.py (1121 lines). It does not change the 3 core files from the first commit. - Add 0002-Add-remote-scripting-full-demo-test.patch alongside the existing 0001 patch (same git format-patch convention). - README/TODO: the PR is open at mesoSPIM/mesoSPIM-control#105 -- drop the stale not-yet-submitted wording and note the second patch is optional.
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What this adds
mesoSPIM-control has no external control interface — everything runs in-process in the Qt event loop. The Script Window already runs Python in the live Core (
self == Core); this PR makes that reachable from another process over a localhost socket, so external tools can script the microscope with the full mesoSPIM Python API. Text in, console text out — no command vocabulary, no data format.Why it's this small
It reuses the existing, unmodified
Core.execute_script. Everything opinionated (a command set, structured results) lives in the client, injected as a script — so there's nothing new for mesoSPIM to maintain.Files (3 files, +480)
mesoSPIM_RemoteScripting.py(new): a signal-drivenQTcpServer. For each received script it runsCore.execute_scriptand returns its console output, captured per-thread so it never swaps the process-widestdout/stderrout from under other threads. Length-framed UTF-8; framing + the token gate are socket-free helpers (frame/FrameDecoder/AuthGate) with Qt-free unit tests; constant-time token compare over UTF-8 bytes. A new client preempts a stale one, and a dropped/crashed client's teardown is guarded, so a misbehaving client can neither wedge nor crash the server.mesoSPIM_Core.py(+37):start_remote_scripting(host, port, token)/stop_remote_scripting()slots, invoked via a queued connection so the server lives on the Core thread (whereexecute_scriptruns), plus asig_remote_scripting_started(ok, message)signal so a bind failure is reported instead of shown as a false "running".mesoSPIM_MainWindow.py(+131): a Tools → Remote Scripting… menu entry with a Start/Stop dialog (host / port / token + generator); reflects the real start outcome; stops on app close.Security — this is remote code execution, handled deliberately
enable_remote_scripting = True— an unmodified install cannot start it.127.0.0.1, the dialog pre-fills a fresh token, and warns before any network bind without a token.Validation
Ran the real app in
-Ddemo mode (all Demo backends, offscreen Qt on Windows) on both v1.20.0 and thisrelease/candidate-py312branch: a client authenticates (incl. a non-ASCII token), reads state, drives the demo stage (self.move_absolute), runs an acquisition that writes a file, gets structured output viaprint(json.dumps(...)), and sees a raising script's traceback returned as text (no crash).execute_scriptis unchanged, so there's no behavior change for existing users.Happy to adjust the naming, add a config-file defaults block, or a CHANGELOG / docs entry as you prefer.