Crestron XPanel Setup: A Step-by-Step Guide

In this article, we will discuss the setup process for Crestron XPanel using the ch5-cli utility. This guide is designed to help you understand the various parameters and options available in the ch5-cli deploy utility and how to use them effectively.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the setup process, make sure you have the following prerequisites:

* A Crestron device with an IP address or DNS accessible host name

* The ch5-cli utility installed on your system

* A public key pair generated using OpenSSL ssh-keygen

Step 1: Create a Public/Private Key Pair

To set up authentication for your Crestron XPanel, you need to create a public/private key pair. You can generate this pair using the OpenSSL ssh-keygen command.

Step 2: Configure Certificate-Based Authentication

Once you have generated the public and private keys, you need to configure certificate-based authentication. To do this, use the -i/identity-file parameter and specify the path to your private key file. Additionally, use the -u/identity-user parameter to provide the username for your Crestron device.

Step 3: Set Environment Variables (Optional)

If you want to avoid prompting for credentials each time you deploy an archive using the ch5-cli deploy utility, set the CH5CLI_DEPLOY_USER and CH5CLI_DEPLOY_PW environment variables. These variables will be honored if the -p/prompt-for-credentials parameter is not provided and both environment variables are set and not empty.

Step 4: Choose a Deployment Option

The ch5-cli deploy utility offers several deployment options, including:

* controlsystem: Deploys to a control system as both an HTML5 Web XPanel and mobile project

* mobile: Deploys to a control system as a mobile project (coming soon)

* web: Deploys to a control system as an HTML5 Web XPanel project

* touchscreen: Deploys to a touch screen

To choose the deployment option, use the corresponding parameter. For example, to deploy to a control system as an HTML5 Web XPanel and mobile project, use the -controlsystem parameter.

Step 5: Specify the Device Type and Deployment

Use the -t/deviceType parameter to specify the device type and deployment options. You can also use the -H/deviceHost parameter to specify the IP address or DNS accessible host name of your Crestron device.

Step 6: Deploy the Archive

Once you have configured all the necessary parameters, you can deploy the archive using the ch5-cli deploy utility. The utility will prompt you for credentials if the -p/prompt-for-credentials parameter is not provided and environment variables are not set.

In this article, we have discussed the setup process for Crestron XPanel using the ch5-cli utility. By following these steps, you can successfully configure certificate-based authentication, choose a deployment option, specify the device type and deployment, and deploy your archive using the ch5-cli deploy utility.

Crestron xpanel setup