SSH config on Mac

SSH config on Mac

2019, Jun 30    

Setting up ssh on a Mac is pretty easy. All you need to do is

Edit the ~/.ssh/config file like this


Host *
    UseKeychain yes
Host host1
    HostName SOME_IP_ADDRESS
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/YOUR_KEY_FILE.pem
    User username
Host host2
    HostName SOME_OTHER_IP_ADDRESS
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/YOUR_KEY_FILE_2.pem
    User username

For each host add following information:

  • hostname its just an alias for your future use
  • ip address
  • path to your key file (store them in the ~/.ssh/ folder)
  • username

Connect to your hosts

Typing ssh host1 in the terminal will now connect you to the given host.

(Optional - Convert .ppk to .pem)

If you happen to have a .ppk key file (from a windows machine) you need to convert it to .pem

Navigate to the folder where you store the key files and run:

puttygen YOUR_KEY_FILE.ppk -O private-openssh -o YOUR_KEY_FILE.pem


Photo by Jordan Harrison on Unsplash
# mac