SSH config

Why you should organize your

.ssh/config

Why?

• Keep your ssh keys organized
• Get nice autocompletion with ssh
• Not having to type your passphrase all the time

Process

• Create key with passphrase ssk-keygen -C "your_name" -f .ssh/path/private_key
• Add a passphrase to existing key: ssh-keygen -p -f ssh-add .ssh/path/private_key
• Add to your .ssh/config file
• Add to ssh agent (ssh-add private_key)

Encrypt your keys

• Please do encrypt your key (really)
  It's ok your ssh-agent will mostly remember it
• Back them up securely!

Config example

Host example.com
        HostName example.com
        User example
        AddKeysToAgent yes
        IdentitiesOnly yes
        IdentityFile ~/.ssh/example_keys/my_private_key

Compatible standards

• Will be used by Sys-Admin tools like Ansible
• VS code remote

Cool bonus

• zsh has scp remote folder autocomplete:
  scp mTAB.. myfile
scp myfile server:/TAB TAB TAB

Demo

SSH Passphrase management tools

• KeepassXC supports saving your passphrase and adding it to the ssh agent
• I whish Gnome Seahorse was ready enough

Bash Aliases

• Use bash alias for even shorter ssh commands
  e.g. alias sshthis="ssh example.com"

Limits

• Can't import multiple files (Would require script)
• It's hard to share your config to collegues. (No vars)
• Managing the keys added to the agent.

Questions?