SSH Cheatsheet
A quick reference for common SSH (Secure Shell) commands.
Authentication
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 |
Generate a new RSA SSH key pair. |
ssh-copy-id [user]@[host] |
Copy your public key to a remote host for passwordless login. |
ssh -i /path/to/private_key [user]@[host] |
Connect using a specific private key. |
Basic Connection
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ssh [user]@[host] |
Connect to a remote host as a specific user. |
ssh -p [port] [user]@[host] |
Connect to a host on a specific port. |
File Transfer (SCP & SFTP)
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
scp /path/to/local/file [user]@[host]:/path/to/remote/ |
Copy a file from local to remote. |
scp [user]@[host]:/path/to/remote/file /path/to/local/ |
Copy a file from remote to local. |
scp -r /path/to/local/dir [user]@[host]:/path/to/remote/ |
Copy a directory recursively from local to remote. |
sftp [user]@[host] |
Start an interactive SFTP session. |
Tunneling / Port Forwarding
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ssh -L [local_port]:[destination_host]:[destination_port] [user]@[gateway_host] |
Local port forwarding. Access a service on a remote network as if it were local. |
ssh -R [remote_port]:[local_host]:[local_port] [user]@[gateway_host] |
Remote port forwarding. Expose a local service to a remote network. |