[Twisted-Python] GUI application with Conch

[Brendan Simon]

Hi,

I want to write a gui application (wxPython) that runs on MSW and talks 
to a Linux server that has an application that only runs on Posix based 
systems.  The current gui app runs on the Linux server and executes the 
commands directly using popen, but I want to make it flexible enough so 
that MSW users can run a local gui which will execute the commands on 
the Linux server and display the results locally.

My question is one of architectural design.  How is it best to structure 
the program so that it can use a remote shell connect (eg. ssh, or 
possibly other transports such as rsh, or rsh over a vpn, etc) as well 
as using direct calls to the utilities when running directly on the 
server ???

I've managed to get the sshsimpleclient.py going and talking to my linux 
server with my login and rsa keys :)
I notice that this sample is different to the documentation mentioned here:
    
http://twistedmatrix.com/projects/conch/documentation/howto/conch_client.html

The sshsimpleclient.py does not have the following statements:
    factory = protocol.ClientFactory()
    factory.protocol = ClientTransport
    reactor.connectTCP('localhost', 22, factory)
    reactor.run()

Is one better than the other?
Is one method better going forward into the future?

Also, the sshsimpleclient.py seems to have the closed() method called 
when issuing a command (eg. CatChannel, TrueChannel, etc).  How can I 
keep a channel open to run commands when I want ??

Cheers,
Brendan.