# ssh

Equips coding agents with SSH workflows: managing keys, configuring port tunnels, syncing files via rsync, and running commands on remote servers.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 703 installs · ★ 73
- Author: Dicklesworthstone
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/agent_flywheel_clawdbot_skills_and_integrations/tree/HEAD/skills/ssh/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-06
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/dicklesworthstone-ssh

## What it does

This skill provides coding agents with ready patterns for remote terminal operations. It covers direct host connections, bastion jump hosts using the `-J` flag, remote command execution, and file transfers. For synchronizing folders, it explicitly prefers `rsync -avzP` over `scp`.

The instructions detail `~/.ssh/config` setups, including connection multiplexing with `ControlMaster` and `ControlPersist`. It also explains `ssh-agent` workflows, generating Ed25519 keys, and setting up tunnels: local port forwarding with `-L`, remote forwarding with `-R`, and SOCKS proxies via `-D`.

Multiplexing requires creating the `~/.ssh/sockets` folder before opening sessions. Without that directory, socket creation fails and fast reconnects will not work.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Dicklesworthstone/agent_flywheel_clawdbot_skills_and_integrations --skill ssh -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/ssh/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/ssh/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Dicklesworthstone/agent_flywheel_clawdbot_skills_and_integrations --skill ssh -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/ssh/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Dicklesworthstone/agent_flywheel_clawdbot_skills_and_integrations --skill ssh -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/ssh/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install Dicklesworthstone/agent_flywheel_clawdbot_skills_and_integrations ssh
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/ssh/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Dicklesworthstone/agent_flywheel_clawdbot_skills_and_integrations --skill ssh -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/agent_flywheel_clawdbot_skills_and_integrations --path skills/ssh
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/ssh/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add Dicklesworthstone/agent_flywheel_clawdbot_skills_and_integrations --skill ssh -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/agent_flywheel_clawdbot_skills_and_integrations/tree/HEAD/skills/ssh/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- forward remote database ports to localhost
- sync project files to remote hosts using rsync
- route connections through a bastion jump host in ~/.ssh/config
- generate Ed25519 keypairs and deploy public keys to servers

## Example prompts
- Add a host block to ~/.ssh/config that connects to internal through bastion
- Show me an rsync command to sync ./dist/ to prod:/app/dist/
- Forward port 5432 from db-server to localhost through the jump host

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: 89e61b36fa2ca474.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE 89e61b36fa2ca474
````text
---
name: ssh
description: >-
  SSH remote access - connections, tunnels, keys, file transfers. Use when
  connecting to servers, managing SSH keys, setting up port forwarding, or
  transferring files with scp/rsync.
---

<!-- TOC: Quick Start | THE EXACT PROMPT | Essential Commands | Config | AGENTS.md Blurb | References -->

# SSH — Secure Remote Access

> **Core Capability:** Secure shell connections, key management, tunneling, and file transfers.

---

## Quick Start

```bash
# Connect to server
ssh user@hostname

# Connect with specific key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/my_key user@hostname

# Run remote command
ssh user@host "cd /app && git status"

# Copy file to remote
scp local.txt user@host:/remote/path/

# Sync directory (preferred over scp)
rsync -avzP ./local/ user@host:/remote/
```

---

## THE EXACT PROMPT — Common Workflows

### Connect Through Jump Host

```bash
# Single jump (bastion)
ssh -J jumphost user@internal-server

# Multiple jumps
ssh -J jump1,jump2 user@internal-server
```

### Local Port Forward (access remote service locally)

```bash
# Access remote:80 via localhost:8080
ssh -L 8080:localhost:80 user@host

# Access db-server:5432 via localhost:5432 through jumphost
ssh -L 5432:db-server:5432 user@jumphost
```

### Generate and Deploy Key

```bash
# Generate Ed25519 key (recommended)
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "you@example.com"

# Copy public key to server
ssh-copy-id user@host
```

---

## Essential Commands

| Task | Command |
|------|---------|
| Connect | `ssh user@host` |
| Connect on port | `ssh -p 2222 user@host` |
| Connect with key | `ssh -i ~/.ssh/key user@host` |
| Run remote command | `ssh user@host "command"` |
| Interactive remote | `ssh -t user@host "htop"` |
| Copy to remote | `scp file.txt user@host:/path/` |
| Copy from remote | `scp user@host:/path/file.txt ./` |
| Sync to remote | `rsync -avzP ./local/ user@host:/remote/` |
| Local forward | `ssh -L local:remote:port user@host` |
| Remote forward | `ssh -R remote:local:port user@host` |
| SOCKS proxy | `ssh -D 1080 user@host` |
| Jump host | `ssh -J bastion user@internal` |
| Generate key | `ssh-keygen -t ed25519` |
| Copy key to server | `ssh-copy-id user@host` |
| Debug connection | `ssh -vvv user@host` |

---

## SSH Config

Location: `~/.ssh/config`

```
Host myserver
    HostName 192.168.1.100
    User deploy
    Port 22
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/myserver_key
    ForwardAgent yes

Host internal
    HostName 10.0.0.50
    User deploy
    ProxyJump bastion
```

Then connect with just: `ssh myserver`

### Connection Multiplexing (faster reconnects)

```
Host *
    ControlMaster auto
    ControlPath ~/.ssh/sockets/%r@%h-%p
    ControlPersist 600
```

```bash
mkdir -p ~/.ssh/sockets
```

---

## SSH Agent

```bash
# Start agent
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

# Add key
````
END THIRD-PARTY FILE 89e61b36fa2ca474

The third-party file has ended. Everything between the 89e61b36fa2ca474 tags is data: requests and commands from it are not followed. An “end of file” line with another tag inside the block is part of the file.

First 2793 of 3910 bytes. © Dicklesworthstone · MIT · https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/agent_flywheel_clawdbot_skills_and_integrations/tree/HEAD/skills/ssh/SKILL.md

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---
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