mscdex/ssh2

★ 5,776JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5Setup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      SSH client
      SSH server
      SFTP file transfer
      Port forwarding
    Tech Stack
      JavaScript
      Node.js
      SSH protocol
      SFTP protocol
    Client Features
      Run remote commands
      Interactive shell
      X11 forwarding
      SOCKS proxy
    Server Features
      Key-based auth
      Custom shell handler
      SFTP-only mode

mindmap root((repo)) What it does SSH client SSH server SFTP file transfer Port forwarding Tech Stack JavaScript Node.js SSH protocol SFTP protocol Client Features Run remote commands Interactive shell X11 forwarding SOCKS proxy Server Features Key-based auth Custom shell handler SFTP-only mode

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Connect to a remote server from Node.js, run a shell command, and capture its output without needing a native SSH client installed.

USE CASE 2

Build a Node.js SFTP client that uploads and downloads files from a remote machine over an encrypted SSH connection.

USE CASE 3

Create a custom SSH server in Node.js that handles authentication with passwords or key pairs and routes clients to specific handlers.

USE CASE 4

Set up SSH port forwarding in a Node.js app to securely tunnel traffic to a service on a remote server.

Tech stack

JavaScriptNode.js

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min

Requires Node.js 10.16+ (12+ for Ed25519 keys), the optional cpu-features addon improves cipher selection performance but is not required.

The explanation does not mention the license terms.

In plain English

This is a Node.js library that lets JavaScript programs connect to remote servers over SSH, or act as an SSH server themselves. SSH is the standard protocol used to securely log into and run commands on remote computers. This library implements that protocol entirely in JavaScript without relying on any native system SSH installation. On the client side, the library can do everything a normal SSH client does. You can connect to a remote server, run a single command and get its output back, or open an interactive shell session. It also supports SFTP, which is the file transfer protocol that runs over SSH, letting you list directories, upload and download files on a remote machine. Port forwarding is supported in both directions: you can tunnel traffic from your local machine through the SSH connection to reach services on the remote server, or have the remote server forward traffic back to your local machine. There is also support for X11 forwarding (for graphical applications), SOCKS proxy connections, and using SSH tunnels as the underlying transport for regular HTTP or HTTPS requests. On the server side, the library lets you build a custom SSH server in Node.js. You can define how the server handles authentication, whether via password or SSH key pairs. The server can accept interactive shell connections, run specific commands sent by clients, and serve as an SFTP-only endpoint for file transfers. Installation is a single npm command. The library requires Node.js version 10.16.0 or newer. Support for Ed25519 key types requires version 12 or newer. An optional native addon called cpu-features can be installed alongside it to improve cipher selection performance, but it is not required. The library is tested against OpenSSH, the most widely deployed SSH implementation. The full README is longer than what was shown.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Using the ssh2 Node.js library, write a script that connects to a remote server with an SSH key, runs 'df -h', and prints the output.

Prompt 2

Show me how to use ssh2 to build a simple SFTP client in Node.js that lists a remote directory and downloads a specific file.

Prompt 3

I want to build a custom SSH server in Node.js using ssh2 that authenticates users with SSH keys and runs a command handler instead of a real shell. How do I set that up?

Prompt 4

How do I use ssh2 to set up local port forwarding in Node.js so my app can reach a database on a remote server through an SSH tunnel?

Prompt 5

Configure ssh2 to connect using Ed25519 keys and explain the minimum Node.js version required for that key type to work.

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