SSH Setup Script

This Python script automates SSH key creation and configuration for a remote server. It performs the following:

1. Checks if you are on a Unix-like system (it will not run on Windows unless under WSL).
2. Verifies that the remote server is reachable (e.g., ensure you are on the correct network or connected via a VPN).
3. Creates a new SSH key and passphrase for connecting to the server.
4. Optionally backs up your existing ~/.ssh directory.
5. Updates your ~/.ssh/known_hosts file with the server's keys.
6. Copies the newly created key to the remote server via ssh-copy-id.
7. Updates your local ~/.ssh/config file for easy login.

Usage

python3 ssh_setup.py <username> [OPTIONS]

Options:

-q, --quiet Suppress most output.

-w, --wincpy Copy the generated SSH key to a Windows partition’s ~.ssh folder (for WSL users).

--disablebackup Disable creation of a backup for your ~/.ssh directory.

Example:

python3 ssh_setup.py alice.smith

After running the script successfully, you can connect to the server with either:

ssh alice.smith@<your-server-domain>

or

ssh <your-config-alias>

Requirements

• Python 3 (the script has been tested on 3.7+).

• OpenSSH client (for ssh, ssh-keygen, ssh-copy-id, ssh-keyscan, etc.).

• WSL (if you plan to use -w/--wincpy on Windows).

Notes

• Ensure you are on the correct private network or connected via VPN to reach the remote server.

• The script exits if not running on a supported OS (os.name must be posix).

• The default key type created is ed25519 with a 4096-bit key size.