setup-ssh.sh

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Purpose

Initialize SSH directory standards, key generation, and managed client defaults for reliable secure access.

Location

setup/local/setup-ssh.sh

Preconditions

  • Required tools: bash, ssh-keygen, chmod
  • Required permissions: write access to ~/.ssh
  • Required environment variables: none

Arguments

Flag Required Default Description
--key-file PATH No ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 Private key path
--email EMAIL No USER@HOST Key comment
--key-type TYPE No ed25519 ed25519\|rsa
--rsa-bits N No 4096 RSA key length
--no-generate-key No false Skip key creation
--force-key No false Replace existing key
--dry-run No false Print planned actions

Scenarios

  • Happy path: .ssh permissions hardened, key exists, config block applied.
  • Common operational path: first-time workstation bootstrap for Git/infra access.
  • Failure path: key generation tool missing or write permission denied.
  • Recovery/rollback path: remove broken key/config block and rerun with corrected options.

Usage

setup/local/setup-ssh.sh --email "dev@example.com"
setup/local/setup-ssh.sh --key-type rsa --rsa-bits 4096 --force-key
setup/local/setup-ssh.sh --no-generate-key --dry-run

Behavior

  • Main execution flow: create/harden .ssh, optionally generate key, maintain managed config block.
  • Idempotency notes: safe repeated execution without --force-key.
  • Side effects: key material generation and config file updates.

Output

  • Standard output format: timestamped setup logs.
  • Exit codes:
  • 0 success
  • 2 invalid arguments

Failure Modes

  • Common errors and likely causes:
  • invalid key type/bit values
  • inaccessible ~/.ssh
  • missing ssh-keygen
  • Recovery and rollback steps:
  • fix permissions/tools
  • regenerate keys with explicit options

Security Notes

  • Secret handling: private key stays local; ensure strict file permissions.
  • Least-privilege requirements: user-level operations only.
  • Audit/logging expectations: do not log private key contents.

Testing

  • Unit tests:
  • option validation and default selection
  • Integration tests:
  • key generation and config merge behavior
  • Manual verification:
  • ssh -T/Git host checks with generated key
setup-shell.sh setup-gpg.sh