SSH Config Cheat Sheet

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Client-side SSH configuration examples for aliases, defaults, patterns, includes, ProxyJump, multiplexing, and effective config inspection.

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Client Config Basics

Host entries, defaults, and matching.

Basic host alias

Create a short alias in ~/.ssh/config.

sshconfigANYsshconfigalias

↗#

sshconfig

Host web-prod
  HostName web01.example.com
  User deploy
  Port 22
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Notes

Create a short alias in ~/.ssh/config.

Global defaults

Set defaults that apply to all hosts.

sshconfigANYsshconfigdefaults

↗#

sshconfig

Host *
  ServerAliveInterval 30
  AddKeysToAgent yes
  IdentitiesOnly yes

Notes

Set defaults that apply to all hosts.

Pattern-based host block

Match groups of hosts with wildcard patterns.

sshconfigANYsshconfigpatterns

↗#

sshconfig

Host *.corp.internal
  User ops
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_corp

Notes

Match groups of hosts with wildcard patterns.

Canonicalize hostnames

Resolve short names into FQDNs automatically.

sshconfigANYsshconfighostname

↗#

sshconfig

Host *
  CanonicalizeHostname yes
  CanonicalDomains example.com corp.internal

Notes

Resolve short names into FQDNs automatically.

Include extra config files

Split config into multiple files.

sshconfigANYsshconfiginclude

↗#

sshconfig

Include ~/.ssh/conf.d/*.conf

Notes

Split config into multiple files.

Inspect merged config

Show the effective configuration for a host.

bashANYsshconfiginspect

↗#

bash

ssh -G web-prod

Notes

Show the effective configuration for a host.

Client Config Advanced

Jump hosts, multiplexing, agent forwarding, and local commands in config.

ProxyJump in config

Configure a jump host once for repeated use.

sshconfigANYsshconfigproxyjump

↗#

sshconfig

Host private-*
  ProxyJump bastion.example.com

Notes

Configure a jump host once for repeated use.

Multiplexing in config

Enable connection sharing globally or per host.

sshconfigANYsshconfigmultiplexing

↗#

sshconfig

Host *
  ControlMaster auto
  ControlPath ~/.ssh/cm-%r@%h:%p
  ControlPersist 10m

Notes

Enable connection sharing globally or per host.

Agent forwarding in config

Enable agent forwarding for specific hosts only.

sshconfigANYsshconfigagent-forwarding

↗#

sshconfig

Host jumpbox
  ForwardAgent yes

Notes

Enable agent forwarding for specific hosts only.

Local forward in config

Attach a local tunnel to a host alias.

sshconfigANYsshconfigforwarding

↗#

sshconfig

Host db-tunnel
  HostName bastion.example.com
  LocalForward 5432 db.internal:5432

Notes

Attach a local tunnel to a host alias.

Use a specific SSH agent socket

Point a host entry at a chosen agent socket.

sshconfigANYsshconfigagent

↗#

sshconfig

Host secure-host
  IdentityAgent ~/.ssh/agent-sock

Notes

Point a host entry at a chosen agent socket.

LocalCommand in config

Run a local command after a successful connection.

sshconfigANYsshconfiglocalcommand

↗#

sshconfig

Host telemetry
  PermitLocalCommand yes
  LocalCommand echo connected to %h

Notes

Run a local command after a successful connection.

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