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Show HN: I built a simple, open-source tool to manage servers and SSH keys

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Re: Show HN: I built a simple, open-source tool to manage servers and SSH keys

#13
post #3

So, congratulations on releasing your project but I'm not sure what problem are you trying to solve. Please add some use-cases to make it clear where exactly does it come in, because once I add a key in my ssh config, I'm pretty much there. For more complicated tasks I use ansible.

Thanks!

- No need to remember server IPs - Viking gives you an overview with simple machine ls and key ls commands - A more modern and intuitive API - Works consistently across all platforms - Close to the Docker API

Sure, it’s only the first release. It may not seem like much now, but with feedback, the project will move closer to the goal.

Re: Show HN: I built a simple, open-source tool to manage servers and SSH keys

#14
post #6
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're managing a ton of servers manually, this makes a lot of sense.

~/.ssh/config is perfectly fine for that.

Nope.

I've used linux since the 1990s. Was friends with the founders of LinuxCare, met Torvalds. blah blah blah...

Since semi-retire from ops... and basically using windows for a few years without need to manage a linux box, youd be FN surprised how quickly basic knowledge evaporate at my age when not in use. I had to fn lookup how to add my keys to a box again.

(After a 3-month long panel-interview with Google's Net Eng Team back in the day - my final panel question was:

"OK how do you do a global search and replace in VI?"

I *blanked* -- and I stated... "UH.... I'cant recall - id just google it"

They all laughed.

---

@OP -- look at the remote SSH extension in VSCode/Positron etc...

Its a really good little file/function/SSH manager.

Though Ill take a look at this.

Re: Show HN: I built a simple, open-source tool to manage servers and SSH keys

#16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Three things I can see. Yes, I know these are achieved by using .ssh/config etc, I am just answering as a public service. 1. It links up addresses to host names so that you don’t have to remember ip addresses of servers. 2. It makes it easy to create keys and attach those keys to particular hosts, so reduces the effort required to separate keys depending on your host 3. It makes key rotation fairly easy 4. It replace…

> It links up addresses to host names so that you don’t have to remember ip addresses of servers. Um.

Just imagine that DNS doesn't exist. Or hosts files. Or `~/.ssh/config`...

Re: Show HN: I built a simple, open-source tool to manage servers and SSH keys

#17
post #11

Personally I prefer to manage my ssh config file manually and I like the way 'stormssh' shows the list of hosts and the options. https://github.com/emre/storm

The goal is to simplify the entire server management and deployment process for personal/small team use case, extending beyond just handling SSH keys.

Re: Show HN: I built a simple, open-source tool to manage servers and SSH keys

#18
post #13
post #3

So, congratulations on releasing your project but I'm not sure what problem are you trying to solve. Please add some use-cases to make it clear where exactly does it come in, because once I add a key in my ssh config, I'm pretty much there. For more complicated tasks I use ansible.

Thanks! - No need to remember server IPs - Viking gives you an overview with simple machine ls and key ls commands - A more modern and intuitive API - Works consistently across all platforms - Close to the Docker API Sure, it’s only the first release. It may not seem like much now, but with feedback, the project will move closer to the goal.

Essentially you wrap via CLI what you can code in ~/.ssh/config, I'm not so sure how this could be comfy.

Re: Show HN: I built a simple, open-source tool to manage servers and SSH keys

#19
post #13
post #3

So, congratulations on releasing your project but I'm not sure what problem are you trying to solve. Please add some use-cases to make it clear where exactly does it come in, because once I add a key in my ssh config, I'm pretty much there. For more complicated tasks I use ansible.

Thanks! - No need to remember server IPs - Viking gives you an overview with simple machine ls and key ls commands - A more modern and intuitive API - Works consistently across all platforms - Close to the Docker API Sure, it’s only the first release. It may not seem like much now, but with feedback, the project will move closer to the goal.

>No need to remember server IPs

On your local machine under ~/.ssh/config you can add something like

#PERSONAL

Host vpn-us

    HostName 1.2.3.4

    User my_fun_username

    Port 1212

now you can ssh using

ssh vpn-us

(above is the same as the following command --> ssh my_fun_username@1.2.3.4 -p1212)

Re: Show HN: I built a simple, open-source tool to manage servers and SSH keys

#20
post #13
post #3

So, congratulations on releasing your project but I'm not sure what problem are you trying to solve. Please add some use-cases to make it clear where exactly does it come in, because once I add a key in my ssh config, I'm pretty much there. For more complicated tasks I use ansible.

Thanks! - No need to remember server IPs - Viking gives you an overview with simple machine ls and key ls commands - A more modern and intuitive API - Works consistently across all platforms - Close to the Docker API Sure, it’s only the first release. It may not seem like much now, but with feedback, the project will move closer to the goal.

> No need to remember server IPs

Umm, DNS?

> with feedback, the project will move closer to the goal

What goal? That was the question you replied to.

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