SSH client config for users on macOS

The following assumes:

  • you have a ${HOME}/.ssh folder with SSH keys (as generated using the instructions for requesting accounts)
  • and that you received a notification with your account name and that your account has been activated
  • and that you are on the machine from which you want to connect to the cluster
  • and that this machine runs macOS Sierra 10.12.2 or newer, which includes OpenSSH 7.3p1 or newer.
    Older versions lack several OpenSSH features we need and are incompatible.

1. Configure your SSH client

We've compiled an AppleScript app to configure your SSH client, which will:

  • Create an SSH client config from scratch if none exists.
  • Append to an existing one leaving the config for other servers/machines untouched.
  • Update the config for Copperfist if the app is executed again.

Quick Install

  • Download the zipped ssh-client-config-for-copperfist AppleScript application.
  • Locate and unzip the downloaded archive, which will result in an ssh-client-config-for-copperfist application
    (optionally with .app extension depending on your display preferences).
  • Start the ssh-client-config-for-copperfist app by double clicking in the Finder application.
  • Follow the instructions ...
    Check the Detailed Walkthrough below if you experience problems or skip to the Log in to Copperfist section.

Detailed Walkthrough

The ssh-client-config-for-copperfist app is a wrapper for an installation script that will be executed in the Terminal application. It will configure your SSH client by:

  • Adding an Include conf.d/* directive to your main ${HOME}/.ssh/config file
  • Adding a ${HOME}/.ssh/conf.d/copperfist config file for the Copperfist specific code.

The ssh-client-config-for-copperfist app will guide you through the following steps:

  • Depending on your macOS version, you may receive a pop-up requesting permission to allow access to the Terminal application:
    Allow access to the Terminal.app
    Click Ok to allow access to the Terminal.
    If you want to revoke this permission or change it back to allow later on, you can do so in System Preferences -> Security & Privacy prefs -> Privacy tab -> Automation
  • The ssh-client-config-for-copperfist app will open the configuration script in the Terminal application and prompt for your account name.
    Type your account name
    Type your account name as you received it from the helpdesk and hit the [ENTER] key on your keyboard.
    Optionally you can specify an alternative location for your private key file.
    (Just hit the [ENTER] key to use the default private key file path.)
  • Your SSH client will now be configured for logins to copperfist via the corresponding jumphost followed by a connection test: the script will try to login using the created config with the account you supplied and the ssh command
    ssh cf-porch+copperfist
    Make sure you are connected to the internet and hit the [ENTER] key on your keyboard to start the connection test.
    Test SSH connection
  • If this was the first time you use your private key for an SSH session, you will get prompted to supply the password for your private key.
    Enter password for your private key
    Note that this is the password you chose yourself when you created the public private key pair. We have no backup whatsoever; If you forgot the password, you will have to start over by creating a new key pair.
  • Done! Hit the [ENTER] key on your keyboard to exit the configuration script.
    Done
  • If you made a mistake, you can simply run the ssh-client-config-for-copperfist app again to update/fix your config.

2 Login

You can now use the config and login with your ssh client

Back to operating system independent instructions for logins