I have a problem with the configuration of a jumper server in ssh_config.
So far I was able to configure the connection for a server as follows:
Host myhost*
ProxyCommand ssh -q myjumpserver nc %h %p
So I could reach via ssh myhost1 or ssh myhost2 directly my two servers.
Now unfortunately something has changed and I should call my servers with the following syntax:
ssh user#newjump#myhost1
(yes 2x # is correct and only this notation works)
Newjump is not a jumpserver in the real sense, so I can't use the syntax above.
Does anyone have an idea how I can configure this?
Since I have >30 servers and these groupwise always have the same naming scheme, it would be nice if I could generalize it as above. But in case of doubt I would also implement a solution for each individual server.
What is important to me is that I only have to type ssh myhost1 to reach this host. A solution via alias is out of the question, because then I would have to adapt numerous scripts.
I solved it by
Host name1
Hostname newjump
User user#host1
I'm testing out Ansible and am already stuck on a fairly simple thing. I configured my /etc/ansible/hosts to contain the IP of my server:
[web]
1.2.3.4
Now, connecting to it with ansible all -vvvv -m ping fails since my ~/.ssh/config for the specified server uses a custom port, a key file not in the default location, etc. How do I tell Ansible to reuse my SSH configuration for the connection?
It's a little esoteric, so it's understandable you missed it. This is from the Ansible Inventory page:
If you have hosts that run on non-standard SSH ports you can put the port number after the hostname with a colon. Ports listed in your SSH config file won’t be used with the paramiko connection but will be used with the openssh connection.
To make things explicit, it is suggested that you set them if things are not running on the default port
So, in your case:
[web]
1.2.3.4:9000
(Using 9000 as your alt port, of course)
Ansible uses paramiko on systems with a dated version of ssh, such as CentOS/RHEL.
What tedder42 said plus there are other slightly more advanced ways of defining your ssh config on a per host basis.
[web]
1.2.3.4 ansible_ssh_port=9000
This only makes sense if you're also using the other ansible_ssh special variables like ansible_ssh_user and ansible_ssh_host.
ansible_ssh_host is helpful if you want to be able to refer to a server by a name of your choosing instead of its IP.
[web]
apache ansible_ssh_host=1.2.3.4 ansible_ssh_port=9000
If you end up with multiple hosts with the same alternative ssh port you can makes use of Ansible's group variable function.
[web]
1.2.3.4
5.6.7.8
9.10.11.12
[web:vars]
ansible_ssh_port=9000
Now Ansible will use port 9000 on all three of the hosts In the web group.
Understanding how to organize your inventory data goes a long way to your success with Ansible.
If I create a host alias in ~/.ssh/config like the following one:
host myhost
hostname myhost.mysubnet.mynet.com
hostname myhost.mynet.com
user igordcard
I am able to connect to myhost.mysubnet.mynet.com perfectly using ssh myhost. However, when this hostname is not reachable, it will never connect. Is there a way to set a timeout for the first hostname so it can automatically try the second one, and so on? If not, is there any other way for achieving almost the same effect?
Thank you.
This answer reflects the exact implementation of the workaround I decided to do, based on the page link provided by damienfrancois and the answer by pcm which is inside that page.
Under ~/.bashrc I've added the following at the end:
nets=$(hostname -I)
if [[ "$nets" == *192.168.* ]]
then
alias ssh='ssh -F .ssh/config.alt'
fi
Which gets the list of network interfaces' addresses connected and then tries to match a segment of a specific network address with that list to check if we are connected to some network and, if so, an alias for ssh is set to use an alternative ssh config file.
This workaround is obviously subject to failure, for instance when the host moves from network to network but these networks share the same network prefix. However, for my specific case (and many others), this is enough.
To clone a repository managed by gitolite one usually uses following syntax
git clone gitolite#server:repository
This tells the SSH client to connect to port 22 of server using gitolite as user name. When I try it with the port number:
git clone gitolite#server:22:repository
Git complains that the repository 22:repository is not available. What syntax should be used if the SSH server uses a different port?
The “SCP style” Git URL syntax (user#server:path) does not support including a port. To include a port, you must use an ssh:// “Git URL”. For example:
ssh://gitolite#server:2222/repository
Note: As compared to gitolite#server:repository, this presents a slightly different repository path to the remote end (the absolute /repository instead of the relative path repository); Gitolite accepts both types of paths, other systems may vary.
An alternative is to use a Host entry in your ~/.ssh/config (see your ssh_config(5) manpage). With such an entry, you can create an “SSH host nickname” that incorporates the server name/address, the remote user name, and the non-default port number (as well as any other SSH options you might like):
Host gitolite
User gitolite
HostName server
Port 2222
Then you can use very simple Git URLs like gitolite:repository.
If you have to document (and or configure) this for multiple people, I would go with ssh:// URLs, since there is no extra configuration involved.
If this is just for you (especially if you might end up accessing multiple repositories from the same server), it might be nice to have the SSH host nickname to save some typing.
It is explained in great detail here: https://github.com/sitaramc/gitolite/blob/pu/doc/ssh-troubleshooting.mkd#_appendix_4_host_aliases
Using a "host" para in ~/.ssh/config lets you nicely encapsulate all this within ssh and give it a short, easy-to-remember, name. Example:
host gitolite
user git
hostname a.long.server.name.or.annoying.IP.address
port 22
identityfile ~/.ssh/id_rsa
Now you can simply use the one word gitolite (which is the host alias we defined here) and ssh will infer all those details defined under it -- just say ssh gitolite and git clone gitolite:reponame and things will work.
When connecting to remote hosts via ssh, I frequently want to bring a file on that system to the local system for viewing or processing. Is there a way to copy the file over without (a) opening a new terminal/pausing the ssh session (b) authenticating again to either the local or remote hosts which works (c) even when one or both of the hosts is behind a NAT router?
The goal is to take advantage of as much of the current state as possible: that there is a connection between the two machines, that I'm authenticated on both, that I'm in the working directory of the file---so I don't have to open another terminal and copy and paste the remote host and path in, which is what I do now. The best solution also wouldn't require any setup before the session began, but if the setup was a one-time or able to be automated, than that's perfectly acceptable.
zssh (a ZMODEM wrapper over openssh) does exactly what you want.
Install zssh and use it instead of openssh (which I assume that you normally use)
You'll have to have the lrzsz package installed on both systems.
Then, to transfer a file zyxel.png from remote to local host:
antti#local:~$ zssh remote
Press ^# (C-Space) to enter file transfer mode, then ? for help
...
antti#remote:~$ sz zyxel.png
**B00000000000000
^#
zssh > rz
Receiving: zyxel.png
Bytes received: 104036/ 104036 BPS:16059729
Transfer complete
antti#remote:~$
Uploading goes similarly, except that you just switch rz(1) and sz(1).
Putty users can try Le Putty, which has similar functionality.
On a linux box I use the ssh-agent and sshfs. You need to setup the sshd to accept connections with key pairs. Then you use ssh-add to add you key to the ssh-agent so you don't have type your password everytime. Be sure to use -t seconds, so the key doesn't stay loaded forever.
ssh-add -t 3600 /home/user/.ssh/ssh_dsa
After that,
sshfs hostname:/ /PathToMountTo/
will mount the server file system on your machine so you have access to it.
Personally, I wrote a small bash script that add my key and mount the servers I use the most, so when I start to work I just have to launch the script and type my passphrase.
Using some little known and rarely used features of the openssh
implementation you can accomplish precisely what you want!
takes advantage of the current state
can use the working directory where you are
does not require any tunneling setup before the session begins
does not require opening a separate terminal or connection
can be used as a one-time deal in an interactive session or can be used as part of an automated session
You should only type what is at each of the local>, remote>, and
ssh> prompts in the examples below.
local> ssh username#remote
remote> ~C
ssh> -L6666:localhost:6666
remote> nc -l 6666 < /etc/passwd
remote> ~^Z
[suspend ssh]
[1]+ Stopped ssh username#remote
local> (sleep 1; nc localhost 6666 > /tmp/file) & fg
[2] 17357
ssh username#remote
remote> exit
[2]- Done ( sleep 1; nc localhost 6666 > /tmp/file )
local> cat /tmp/file
root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
bin:x:1:1:bin:/bin:/sbin/nologin
daemon:x:2:2:daemon:/sbin:/sbin/nologin
...
Or, more often you want to go the other direction, for example if you
want to do something like transfer your ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub file from
your local machine to the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file of the remote
machine.
local> ssh username#remote
remote> ~C
ssh> -R5555:localhost:5555
remote> ~^Z
[suspend ssh]
[1]+ Stopped ssh username#remote
local> nc -l 5555 < ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub &
[2] 26607
local> fg
ssh username#remote
remote> nc localhost 5555 >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
remote> cat ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2ZQQQQBIwAAAQEAsgaVp8mnWVvpGKhfgwHTuOObyfYSe8iFvksH6BGWfMgy8poM2+5sTL6FHI7k0MXmfd7p4rzOL2R4q9yjG+Hl2PShjkjAVb32Ss5ZZ3BxHpk30+0HackAHVqPEJERvZvqC3W2s4aKU7ae4WaG1OqZHI1dGiJPJ1IgFF5bWbQl8CP9kZNAHg0NJZUCnJ73udZRYEWm5MEdTIz0+Q5tClzxvXtV4lZBo36Jo4vijKVEJ06MZu+e2WnCOqsfdayY7laiT0t/UsulLNJ1wT+Euejl+3Vft7N1/nWptJn3c4y83c4oHIrsLDTIiVvPjAj5JTkyH1EA2pIOxsKOjmg2Maz7Pw== username#local
A little bit of explanation is in order.
The first step is to open a LocalForward; if you don't already have
one established then you can use the ~C escape character to open an
ssh command line which will give you the following commands:
remote> ~C
ssh> help
Commands:
-L[bind_address:]port:host:hostport Request local forward
-R[bind_address:]port:host:hostport Request remote forward
-D[bind_address:]port Request dynamic forward
-KR[bind_address:]port Cancel remote forward
In this example I establish a LocalForward on port 6666 of localhost
for both the client and the server; the port number can be any
arbitrary open port.
The nc command is from the netcat package; it is described as the
"TCP/IP swiss army knife"; it is a simple, yet very flexible and
useful program. Make it a standard part of your unix toolbelt.
At this point nc is listening on port 6666 and waiting for another
program to connect to that port so it can send the contents of
/etc/passwd.
Next we make use of another escape character ~^Z which is tilde
followed by control-Z. This temporarily suspends the ssh process and
drops us back into our shell.
One back on the local system you can use nc to connect to the
forwarded port 6666. Note the lack of a -l in this case because that
option tells nc to listen on a port as if it were a server which is
not what we want; instead we want to just use nc as a client to
connect to the already listening nc on the remote side.
The rest of the magic around the nc command is required because if
you recall above I said that the ssh process was temporarily
suspended, so the & will put the whole (sleep + nc) expression
into the background and the sleep gives you enough time for ssh to
return to the foreground with fg.
In the second example the idea is basically the same except we set up
a tunnel going the other direction using -R instead of -L so that
we establish a RemoteForward. And then on the local side is where
you want to use the -l argument to nc.
The escape character by default is ~ but you can change that with:
-e escape_char
Sets the escape character for sessions with a pty (default: ‘~’). The escape character is only recognized at the beginning of a line. The escape character followed by a dot
(‘.’) closes the connection; followed by control-Z suspends the connection; and followed by itself sends the escape character once. Setting the character to “none” disables any
escapes and makes the session fully transparent.
A full explanation of the commands available with the escape characters is available in the ssh manpage
ESCAPE CHARACTERS
When a pseudo-terminal has been requested, ssh supports a number of functions through the use of an escape character.
A single tilde character can be sent as ~~ or by following the tilde by a character other than those described below. The escape character must always follow a newline to be interpreted
as special. The escape character can be changed in configuration files using the EscapeChar configuration directive or on the command line by the -e option.
The supported escapes (assuming the default ‘~’) are:
~. Disconnect.
~^Z Background ssh.
~# List forwarded connections.
~& Background ssh at logout when waiting for forwarded connection / X11 sessions to terminate.
~? Display a list of escape characters.
~B Send a BREAK to the remote system (only useful for SSH protocol version 2 and if the peer supports it).
~C Open command line. Currently this allows the addition of port forwardings using the -L, -R and -D options (see above). It also allows the cancellation of existing remote port-
forwardings using -KR[bind_address:]port. !command allows the user to execute a local command if the PermitLocalCommand option is enabled in ssh_config(5). Basic help is avail‐
able, using the -h option.
~R Request rekeying of the connection (only useful for SSH protocol version 2 and if the peer supports it).
Using ControlMaster (the -M switch) is the best solution, way simpler and easier than the rest of the answers here. It allows you to share a single connection among multiple sessions. Sounds like it does what the poster wants. You still have to type the scp or sftp command line though. Try it. I use it for all of my sshing.
In order to do this I have my home router set up to forward port 22 back to my home machine (which is firewalled to only accept ssh connections from my work machine) and I also have an account set up with DynDNS to provide Dynamic DNS that will resolve to my home IP automatically.
Then when I ssh into my work computer, the first thing I do is run a script that starts an ssh-agent (if your server doesn't do that automatically). The script I run is:
#!/bin/bash
ssh-agent sh -c 'ssh-add < /dev/null && bash'
It asks for my ssh key passphrase so that I don't have to type it in every time. You don't need that step if you use an ssh key without a passphrase.
For the rest of the session, sending files back to your home machine is as simple as
scp file_to_send.txt your.domain.name:~/
Here is a hack called ssh-xfer which addresses the exact problem, but requires patching OpenSSH, which is a nonstarter as far as I'm concerned.
Here is my preferred solution to this problem. Set up a reverse ssh tunnel upon creating the ssh session. This is made easy by two bash function: grabfrom() needs to be defined on the local host, while grab() should be defined on the remote host. You can add any other ssh variables you use (e.g. -X or -Y) as you see fit.
function grabfrom() { ssh -R 2202:127.0.0.1:22 ${#}; };
function grab() { scp -P 2202 $# localuser#127.0.0.1:~; };
Usage:
localhost% grabfrom remoteuser#remotehost
password: <remote password goes here>
remotehost% grab somefile1 somefile2 *.txt
password: <local password goes here>
Positives:
It works without special software on either host beyond OpenSSH
It works when local host is behind a NAT router
It can be implemented as a pair of two one-line bash function
Negatives:
It uses a fixed port number so:
won't work with multiple connections to remote host
might conflict with a process using that port on the remote host
It requires localhost accept ssh connections
It requires a special command on initiation the session
It doesn't implicitly handle authentication to the localhost
It doesn't allow one to specify the destination directory on localhost
If you grab from multiple localhosts to the same remote host, ssh won't like the keys changing
Future work:
This is still pretty kludgy. Obviously, it would be possible to handle the authentication issue by setting up ssh keys appropriately and it's even easier to allow the specification of a remote directory by adding a parameter to grab()
More difficult is addressing the other negatives. It would be nice to pick a dynamic port but as far as I can tell there is no elegant way to pass that port to the shell on the remote host; As best as I can tell, OpenSSH doesn't allow you to set arbitrary environment variables on the remote host and bash can't take environment variables from a command line argument. Even if you could pick a dynamic port, there is no way to ensure it isn't used on the remote host without connecting first.
You can use SCP protocol for tranfering a file.you can refer this link
http://tekheez.biz/scp-protocol-in-unix/
The best way to use this you can expose your files over HTTP and download it from another server, you can achieve this using ZSSH Python library,
ZSSH - ZIP over SSH (Simple Python script to exchange files between servers).
Install it using PIP.
python3 -m pip install zssh
Run this command from your remote server.
python3 -m zssh -as --path /desktop/path_to_expose
It will give you an URL to execute from another server.
In the local system or another server where you need to download those files and extract.
python3 -m zssh -ad --path /desktop/path_to_download --zip http://example.com/temp_file.zip
For more about this library: https://pypi.org/project/zssh/
You should be able to set up public & private keys so that no auth is needed.
Which way you do it depends on security requirements, etc (be aware that there are linux/unix ssh worms which will look at keys to find other hosts they can attack).
I do this all the time from behind both linksys and dlink routers. I think you may need to change a couple of settings but it's not a big deal.
Use the -M switch.
"Places the ssh client into 'master' mode for connection shar-ing. Multiple -M options places ssh into ``master'' mode with confirmation required before slave connections are accepted. Refer to the description of ControlMaster in ssh_config(5) for details."
I don't quite see how that answers the OP's question - can you expand on this a bit, David?