SSH Kit

SSH Kit is a focused SSH host manager for VS Code. It gives you one place to organize servers, reuse SSH keys, import or write ~/.ssh/config, and open Remote-SSH sessions without hunting through host aliases.

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Why Use It

• Keep SSH hosts grouped by project, environment, or team.
• Open a host through Remote-SSH in the current window, a new empty window, or an external terminal.
• See the current SSH Kit Remote-SSH connection in the status bar, with host details available from the tooltip.
• Import existing SSH Config entries and preview what will be added, updated, or skipped.
• Expand any host to copy its address, port, username, or key path.
• Manage local SSH keys, copy public keys, and regenerate missing .pub files.
• Back up and restore SSH Kit data, including associated key files when needed.
• Let Copilot and other VS Code language model tools read host metadata when you ask for SSH context.

Quick Start

1. Install SSH Kit from the VS Code Marketplace.
2. Open the SSH Kit activity bar view.
3. Add a host manually, or choose Import from SSH Config.
4. Use the inline buttons on a host to connect with Remote-SSH or an external terminal.
5. Expand hosts and keys to copy details directly from the tree.

Main Features

Host Management

• Folders for grouping SSH hosts.
• Drag-and-drop hosts between folders.
• Recently connected hosts at the top of the list.
• Search by host name, address, or tag.
• Batch delete and endpoint-based duplicate cleanup.
• Batch change the associated key path for selected hosts, including clearing the key or entering a custom path.
• Right-click a host to change only that host's associated key.

Remote-SSH Connections

• Open the selected host in a current or new empty Remote-SSH window.
• Keep the native Remote-SSH status label readable by using the Host alias directly.
• Show the active SSH Kit connection per VS Code window in the host tree and status bar; hover to view name, endpoint, user, group, key, and tag details, or click the status item to copy the full details.
• Keep new-window connection context separate from the source window, so opening several Remote-SSH windows does not overwrite the current window marker.
• Use generated SSH Kit connection aliases without polluting imported host data.
• Refresh SSH Kit-managed Remote-SSH Host blocks before connecting, so restored or edited key paths are used without manually writing SSH Config.
• Open a regular SSH shell in the VS Code terminal or a native external terminal. In Remote-SSH windows, SSH Kit can open a local VS Code terminal so local SSH config and local key files still work.

SSH Config Import and Export

• Import from ~/.ssh/config, including Include directives.
• Preview import changes before writing them into SSH Kit.
• Match existing hosts by name first, then by SSH endpoint.
• Preserve repeated directives such as LocalForward and SendEnv.
• Write managed hosts back to SSH Config after you choose a backup location for the current file.
• Treat SSH Kit as the source of truth when writing: same Host aliases or same HostName / Port targets are replaced by current SSH Kit entries, and generated SSH Kit connection aliases are removed.

Key Management

• Scan private keys from ~/.ssh/.
• Display key type and fingerprint.
• Generate ed25519, RSA, or ECDSA key pairs.
• Copy public keys from the tree.
• Regenerate missing public key files from private keys.

Backup and Restore

• Export host data and associated key files to JSON.
• Preview restore targets before writing key files.
• Reuse matching SSH keys by public-key identity even when the local file has a different name, and prompt before handling same-name key conflicts.
• Rewrite restored host key paths to the local key that was written, renamed, or reused; skipped or failed keys leave the imported host without a key association instead of keeping source-machine paths.
• Show failed key restore details when a backup contains invalid key data.
• Use batch key changes after restore to fix migrated or renamed key paths without editing hosts one by one.

AI and Copilot Access

• Provides a read-only VS Code language model tool named sshKitHosts.
• Returns host names, addresses, ports, users, groups, and tags so AI can help plan SSH or Remote-SSH work.
• Does not return private key contents. Associated key paths are hidden unless explicitly requested by the tool input.

Command Palette

Available from Ctrl+Shift+P:

Requirements

• VS Code 1.100.0 or newer.
• Microsoft Remote-SSH extension for Remote-SSH window connections.
• Local OpenSSH tools (ssh, ssh-keygen) for connectivity tests and key generation.

Data and Security

SSH Kit stores host metadata in VS Code globalState. Backup files may include private key material when hosts reference local keys, so keep backups in a trusted location and delete temporary copies after migration.

When writing to ~/.ssh/config, SSH Kit asks you to choose where to save a backup of the current file before it writes changes. The Copilot/language-model tool is read-only and does not expose private key contents.

Development

Source code is available on GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/Beautiful-blue-sky/vscode-ssh-kit.git
cd vscode-ssh-kit
pnpm install
pnpm run preflight

License

MIT