SSHConn

SSHConn is a lightweight command-line tool that simplifies the management of SSH connections. It allows you to store, list, group, and manage SSH connections by domain, username, IP/hostname, and port—then connect with a single command.

Although sshconn is implemented as a Bash script, it works seamlessly when launched from Bash or Zsh. Shell-native autocompletion is supported for both environments.

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Features

• List Connections – Display a numbered list of stored SSH connections
• Group by Server – View connections grouped by IP address / host
• Add New Connections – Interactively add SSH connection entries
• One-Command SSH – Run sshconn [domain] to connect immediately
• SCP Support – Securely copy files using --scp
• Edit or Delete Entries – Manage connections interactively
• Built-in Help – Usage and options available via -h / --help
• Shell Autocompletion – Domain autocompletion for Bash and Zsh

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Installation

You can install sshconn directly using curl or wget.

Option 1: Install via Curl

curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mwender/sshconn/main/sshconn.sh -o /usr/local/bin/sshconn
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/sshconn

Option 2: Install via Wget

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mwender/sshconn/main/sshconn.sh -O /usr/local/bin/sshconn
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/sshconn

Verify installation:

sshconn --help

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Usage

• List all connections

  sshconn --list

• Group connections by IP / server

  sshconn --by-server

• Add a new connection

  sshconn --add

• Connect to a domain

  sshconn myserver.example.com

• Copy files via SCP

  sshconn myserver.example.com --scp

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Shell Compatibility

Bash vs Zsh

• sshconn runs under Bash (via its shebang) and works correctly when invoked from either Bash or Zsh
• No separate “zsh version” of the script is required
• Shell-specific behavior is handled via separate completion files, not separate executables

This keeps the core logic consistent and easy to maintain.

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Enabling Autocompletion

Autocompletion is optional but highly recommended. Setup differs slightly between Bash and Zsh.

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Bash Autocompletion

Install the completion script

curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mwender/sshconn/main/completions/bash/sshconn -o ~/.sshconn-completion.bash

Enable it

Add the following to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile (macOS):

source ~/.sshconn-completion.bash

Reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc

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Zsh Autocompletion

Zsh uses its own native completion system and requires a different setup.

1. Create a completions directory (if needed)

mkdir -p ~/.zsh/completions

2. Download the Zsh completion file

curl -L https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mwender/sshconn/main/completions/zsh/_sshconn -o ~/.zsh/completions/_sshconn

3. Enable completions in ~/.zshrc

Ensure the following lines exist in your ~/.zshrc:

fpath=(~/.zsh/completions $fpath)
autoload -Uz compinit
compinit

Reload your shell:

source ~/.zshrc

Once enabled, typing sshconn followed by TAB will autocomplete domains from your ~/.connections file.

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Security Considerations

The ~/.connections file contains sensitive metadata about your servers.

• Permissions – Recommended permissions are 600:

  chmod 600 ~/.connections

• No Password Storage – Passwords are never stored; use SSH keys

• Shared Systems – Avoid use on shared machines

• Warnings – sshconn will warn if permissions are too permissive

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Connections File Format

sshconn reads from a simple CSV file at ~/.connections.

domain,username,ip_or_hostname,port

• The port field is optional (defaults to 22)
• Hostnames and IP addresses are both supported

Valid examples:

webserver.example.com,john,192.168.1.100,22
database.example.com,dbadmin,db.internal.example.com,3306
dev-server,developer,10.0.0.50
ssh-custom-port,admin,example.com,2222

Each line represents a single SSH connection profile.

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Changelog

For the full changelog, see CHANGELOG.md.

Recent Changes

1.3.0

• zsh compatibility

1.2.1

• Portability fixes for macOS/Linux sed
• Improved input validation
• Safer delete confirmations
• Editable IPs and ports
• File permission checks and warnings
• Custom SSH port support
• Added structured changelog and expanded documentation

1.2.0

• Added SCP support via --scp
• File path autocompletion for SCP

1.1.x

• Autocompletion support
• Stability and formatting fixes
• Repo metadata improvements

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Behind the Code

SSHConn was developed with the assistance of ChatGPT (initially GPT-4o), building on my earlier script sshman.

I acted as the project manager—defining requirements, workflows, and UX—while ChatGPT handled implementation details. The result is a pragmatic tool that dramatically simplifies managing hundreds of SSH connections with minimal ceremony.

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.