Ability to use a SSH Config File

Describe the feature I would like to suggest a new subnet detection feature that dynamically chooses a hostname/IP to connect to based on which network the app is running from, configured for each connection.

e.g. if I’m on my home network and the app detects I’m on a specified subnet such as 192.168.0.x, I would like the app to connect to a local IP address. If I’m connecting from a network other than the specified one (ie roaming on my iPhone), it uses another hostname such as an external URL (my.homenet.com).

I can illustrate this based on a method I use with .ssh/config (which as it happens also uses another feature request - ProxyJump)

Match exec "/Users/user1/onsubnet 192.168.1." host raspi1
 Hostname 192.168.1.100
 Port 22
 User pi

Match exec "/Users/user1/onsubnet --not 192.168.1." host raspi1
 ProxyJump proxypi
 Hostname 192.168.1.100
 User pi
 Port 22

Host proxypi
 HostName my.homenet.com
 Port 8700
 User pi

The file /Users/user1/onsubnet is a script I found that helps determine your subnet on a Mac. I realise it couldn’t be used in the app like this, but I’m including it here in case it helps.

if [[ "$1" == "--help" ]] || [[ "$1" == "-h" ]]  || [[ "$1" == "" ]] ; then
  printf "Usage:\n\tonsubnet [ --not ] partial-ip-address\n\n"
  printf "Example:\n\tonsubnet 10.10.\n\tonsubnet --not 192.168.0.\n\n"
  printf "Note:\n\tThe partial-ip-address must match starting at the first\n"
  printf "\tcharacter of the ip-address, therefore the first example\n"
  printf "\tabove will match 10.10.10.1 but not 110.10.10.1\n"
  exit 0
fi

on=0
off=1
if [[ "$1" == "--not" ]] ; then
  shift
  on=1
  off=0
fi

regexp="^$(sed 's/\./\\./g' <<<"$1")"

if [[ "$(uname)" == "Darwin" ]] ; then
  ifconfig | fgrep 'inet ' | fgrep -v 127.0.0. | cut -d ' ' -f 2 | egrep "$regexp" >/dev/null
else
  hostname -I | tr -s " " "\012" | fgrep -v 127.0.0. | egrep "$regexp" >/dev/null
fi

if [[ $? == 0 ]]; then
  exit $on
else
  exit $off
fi

In the absence of this feature I could always specify the external URL, but I’m not sure if that would work with ProxyJump where a connection to an internal device would keep having to hop via my proxypi to its destination when I’m at home.

The other alternative would be to have two connections - one local and one remote. This would work fine, but it would be neater if I only needed to configure one host.

Hope this makes sense. Thanks.

[isontheline]

Hi @jarrah31 👋

Thank you so much for your strong feedback!

I guess at the moment we still need to create a Connection as well as a config file entry? If so, perhaps the ability to automatically create new Connections if a Host entry within the ssh config file doesn’t match an existing Connection “Name”? This would help people easily import/migrate their ssh config file into WebSSH. Maybe a pop-up box after saving saying something like “detected new entry in ssh config file, do you want to create a new Connection?” If there’s are lots of new entries, maybe a “Yes to all” option would help?

You’re right WebSSH needs to have the connections created in order to work as it. Yes import from the SSH Config could be a great addition!

Only one drawback : Hosts with wildcard “*” won’t be imported

I’m creating an issue to track import from SSH Config File : https://github.com/isontheline/pro.webssh.net/issues/792

Support the “IdentityFile” keyword that translates to “Private key” within Connection settings? I have a few .ssh/config entries with these.

When implemented it should check within the “Keys inside WebSSH Settings UI” and if the key name has not been found it should check if a file exists named by the “IdentifyFile” parameter.

[akuropka]

oh well noted. (since I’m the IT I did not consider this… would be using two profiles then.)