# No output from \`balena device ssh \<id\> \<app\>\`

**URL:** <https://forums.balena.io/t/no-output-from-balena-device-ssh-id-app/377827>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [April 27, 2026, 11:26am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/no-output-from-balena-device-ssh-id-app/377827 "2026-04-27T11:26:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jkridner](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/jkridner/32/4982_2.png) [@jkridner](https://forums.balena.io/u/jkridner)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:26am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/no-output-from-balena-device-ssh-id-app/377827/1 "2026-04-27T11:26:06Z")

</div>

```auto
#!/bin/bash -ex

for ID in REDACTED; do
	OUTPUT=$(echo "lsusb; exit;" | balena device ssh -t $ID main)
	echo "Response: $OUTPUT"
done

```

Results in:

```auto
+ for ID in REDACTED
++ echo 'lsusb; exit;'
++ balena device ssh -t ID main
+ OUTPUT=
+ echo 'Response: '
Response: 

```

How do you actually get output to show that the script worked?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jkridner](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/balena/user_avatar/forums.balena.io/jkridner/32/4982_2.png) [@jkridner](https://forums.balena.io/u/jkridner)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 11:49am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/no-output-from-balena-device-ssh-id-app/377827/2 "2026-04-27T11:49:34Z")

</div>

OK, this worked better for me:

```auto
#!/bin/bash -ex

for ID in REDACTED; do
	echo 'balena-engine exec -t $(balena-engine ps -q -f name=main) /bin/sh -c "lsusb; exit;"; exit;' | balena device ssh $ID || true
done

```

Not sure why I couldn’t start a session directly with my container.