How can you get the SSH return code using Paramiko?

A much easier example that doesn't involve invoking the "lower level" channel class directly (i.e. - NOT using the client.get_transport().open_session() command):

import paramikoclient = paramiko.SSHClient()client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())client.connect('blahblah.com')stdin, stdout, stderr = client.exec_command("uptime")print stdout.channel.recv_exit_status()    # status is 0stdin, stdout, stderr = client.exec_command("oauwhduawhd")print stdout.channel.recv_exit_status()    # status is 127

SSHClient is a simple wrapper class around the more lower-level functionality in Paramiko. The API documentation lists a recv_exit_status() method on the Channel class.

A very simple demonstration script:

import paramikoimport getpasspw = getpass.getpass()client = paramiko.SSHClient()client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.WarningPolicy())client.connect('127.0.0.1', password=pw)while True:    cmd = raw_input("Command to run: ")    if cmd == "":        break    chan = client.get_transport().open_session()    print "running '%s'" % cmd    chan.exec_command(cmd)    print "exit status: %s" % chan.recv_exit_status()client.close()

Example of its execution:

$ python sshtest.pyPassword: Command to run: truerunning 'true'exit status: 0Command to run: falserunning 'false'exit status: 1Command to run: $

Thanks for JanC, I added some modification for the example and tested in Python3, it really useful for me.

import paramikoimport getpasspw = getpass.getpass()client = paramiko.SSHClient()client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.WarningPolicy())#client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())def start():    try :        client.connect('127.0.0.1', port=22, username='ubuntu', password=pw)        return True    except Exception as e:        #client.close()        print(e)        return Falsewhile start():    key = True    cmd = input("Command to run: ")    if cmd == "":        break    chan = client.get_transport().open_session()    print("running '%s'" % cmd)    chan.exec_command(cmd)    while key:        if chan.recv_ready():            print("recv:\n%s" % chan.recv(4096).decode('ascii'))        if chan.recv_stderr_ready():            print("error:\n%s" % chan.recv_stderr(4096).decode('ascii'))        if chan.exit_status_ready():            print("exit status: %s" % chan.recv_exit_status())            key = False            client.close()client.close()