ssh-client | Alison's LLM Skills Marketplace | Alison's LLM Skills Marketplace

Files

SKILL.mdagentsreferencesscripts

Install

Install only this skill with npx skills

npx skills add alisonaquinas/llm-shared-skills --skill 'ssh-client' -g -y

Install the containing skill bundle

/plugin install shared-skills@llm-skills

Download ssh-client-skill.zip

This skill is bundled inside shared-skills. Use npx skills when you only want this skill, or install the bundle once to make every included skill available through the plugin marketplace flow. Browse the full skill bundle repository at github.com/alisonaquinas/llm-shared-skills.

Invoke

Invoke this skill after installation

/shared-skills:ssh-client

SKILL.md

name: ssh-client description: Establish secure SSH connections with strict host verification and key management. Use when the agent needs remote access, Git-over-SSH operations, or key pair validation.

ssh (client)

Secure remote access with strict host key verification and known_hosts management.

Prerequisite Check

Run this before proposing remote access steps:

command -v ssh >/dev/null 2>&1 || ssh -V

If ssh is missing, surface that first and point to scripts/install.sh or scripts/install.ps1. Do not suggest insecure fallbacks such as disabling host verification or using plaintext remote shells.

Quick Start

Verify ssh is available: ssh -V or man ssh
Establish the command surface: man ssh or ssh -h
Start with connectivity check: ssh -o BatchMode=yes -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new host

Intent Router

Load only the reference file needed for the active request.

references/install-and-setup.md — Installing OpenSSH on macOS, Linux, Windows
references/cheatsheet.md — Common options, authentication, host key management
references/advanced-usage.md — Strict verification, key forwarding, config files
references/troubleshooting.md — Authentication errors, host key issues, permission problems

Core Workflow

Verify ssh is available: ssh -V
Capture host keys before first connection: ssh-keyscan host >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
Use strict host checking: ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new user@host
Debug with verbose logging: ssh -vvv user@host

Quick Command Reference

ssh -V                                 # Check version
ssh-keyscan -p 22 github.com >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts  # Capture host keys
ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new user@host   # Connect with verification
ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=yes user@host          # Strict verification
ssh -vvv user@host                     # Verbose debugging (3x)
ssh-keygen -R hostname                 # Remove hostname from known_hosts
man ssh                                # Full manual

# Probe connectivity without interactive password prompts
ssh -o BatchMode=yes -o StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new user@host true

# Inspect the host key before a first connection
ssh-keyscan -p 22 host | tee -a ~/.ssh/known_hosts

Safety Notes

Area	Guardrail
Host key verification	Always use StrictHostKeyChecking=accept-new or yes. Never use no. Prevents MITM attacks.
Private key permissions	Restrict to 600 (chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa). SSH refuses keys with wrong permissions.
known_hosts management	Verify host keys before adding. Use ssh-keyscan carefully from trusted networks only.
Key passphrase	Protect private keys with strong passphrases. Use ssh-agent for convenient access.
Agent forwarding	Be cautious with -A. Forwarding agent is high-risk on untrusted hosts.
Config file	Restrict permissions (chmod 600 ~/.ssh/config). May contain sensitive information.

Recovery note: if the runtime has no ssh client, stop at install guidance. Do not route around that by suggesting telnet-like substitutes or StrictHostKeyChecking=no.

Source Policy

Treat the installed ssh behavior and man ssh as runtime truth.
Use OpenSSH documentation for security best practices.

Resource Index

scripts/install.sh — Install OpenSSH on macOS or Linux.
scripts/install.ps1 — Install OpenSSH on Windows or any platform via PowerShell.