Is there an SSH connection manager?

I'm glad you ask that question. Please, take a look at PAC Manager, a Perl/Gtk app that pretends to be Ubuntu/General Linux SecureCRT equivalent, but with much more options!

FEATURES (by now):

  • Simple GUI to manage/launch connections to remote machines.
  • Configurable [Pre|Post]-connection local commands execution.
  • Configurable list of macros (commands) to send to connected client.
  • Configurable list of macros (commands) to execute locally when connected.
  • Configurable list of conditional executions on connected machine via 'Expect': . forget about SSH certificates . chain multiple ssh connections . automate tunnels creation . etc
  • Ability to connect to machines through a Proxy server!
  • CLUSTER connections.
  • TABBED/WINDOWED terminals
  • Wake On LAN capabilities
  • Local and Global variables, eg.: write down a password once, use it ANY where, centralizing its modification for faster changes! use them for: . password vault . reusing connection strings . etc
  • Seamless Gnome/Gtk integration.
  • Tray icon for 'right button' quick launching of managed connections.
  • Written in Perl/Gtk (wait, is that a feature? Well, it is for me! ;=)
  • DEB, RPM & .TAR.GZ packages available!!
  • It is FREE (as in freedom)!! and licensed under GNU GPLv3.

The following packages are required prior to installation of PAC:

libgnome2-gconf-perl
libexpect-perl
libnet-proxy-perl
libcrypt-cbc-perl
libcrypt-blowfish-perl
libgtk2-gladexml-perl
libgtk2-ex-simple-list-perl
libnet-arp-perl
libossp-uuid-perl
libcrypt-rijndael-perl
libgtk2-uniqu

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pacmanager/


Much simplier method than installing an app.

Create a directory on your desktop (for example, call it ssh).

In your favourite editor, create a file called [servername i want to ssh to].desktop

In that file

[Desktop Entry]
Version=1.0
Type=Application
Name=SERVER NAME
Comment=ssh to SERVER NAME
Exec=ssh user@SERVER NAME
Icon=
Path=
Terminal=true
StartupNotify=false

Now mark the file as executable. Done.

Hope that helps.


Are you just bothered about punching in your details each time you can use SSH key authentication so your user can log into other computers without a password. It's fairly powerful stuff and quite simple to get started.

First you need to generate a key for your user. This comprises of a public key and a private key. (Sidebar: Never ever, ever, ever give anybody your private key.) Just run:

ssh-keygen

It'll ask if you want a passphrase that has to be entered each time you use the key. That's up to you. Completely optional.

When you're done there you just upload your key to the server. Thankfully there's even a little application to handle that for you:

ssh-copy-id remote_user@remote_host

Then ssh remote_user@remote_host should just log in without prompt.

For your one-click launchers, you can just make a launcher with the following sort of command:

gnome-terminal -e "ssh remote_user@remote_host"

I also write little alias scripts in my ~/.bash_aliases file that fire off the connection (because I'm really lazy!).

Tags:

Ssh

Software Recommendation

Recent Posts