--- title: SSH Client Config File Example | daily.dev description: A walkthrough on creating and using SSH client config files to simplify connecting to remote servers, covering Host, HostName, Port, User, and IdentityFile... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/ssh-client-config-file-example-wkkhr1oht twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: SSH Client Config File Example | daily.dev og:description: A walkthrough on creating and using SSH client config files to simplify connecting to remote servers, covering Host, HostName, Port, User, and IdentityFile... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/ssh-client-config-file-example-wkkhr1oht og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/WKkhr1oHT.png og:image:alt: SSH Client Config File Example og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # SSH Client Config File Example **[Teleport](https://daily.dev/sources/teleport)** · 4 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary A walkthrough on creating and using SSH client config files to simplify connecting to remote servers, covering Host, HostName, Port, User, and IdentityFile parameters. It also introduces Teleport's tsh client as a drop-in replacement for the ssh command that adds identity-based access, compliance, and visibility features for clusters. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### How do I set up an SSH config file to avoid typing connection parameters every time? Create a file at ~/.ssh/config and define Host entries, each specifying HostName, User, Port, and IdentityFile, separated by blank lines. For example, a Host named newServer can map to HostName newServer.url, User adminuser, Port 2222, and an IdentityFile path, letting you connect with just 'ssh newServer' instead of typing all flags manually. _daily.dev surfaces practical SSH and server-management tips for developers tightening their workflow._ ### What does the IdentityFile parameter do in an SSH config file? IdentityFile specifies the file containing the user's authentication key for the SSH connection, such as DSA, ECDSA, or RSA keys. For SSH protocol version 1 the default is ~/.ssh/identity, while for version 2 the defaults are ~/.ssh/id_ecdsa and ~/.ssh/id_rsa, though a custom path can be set per host entry. _developers configuring secure remote access can track SSH and authentication guidance on daily.dev._ ### How does Teleport's tsh command work as a replacement for the ssh command? tsh is a client that is fully compatible with existing SSH workflows and can be symlinked to the ssh command itself, so calling 'ssh user@host' actually invokes 'tsh ssh'. Typical usage includes 'tsh login --proxy=teleport.example.com' to fetch certificates, 'tsh ssh user@node' to connect, and 'tsh logout' to remove certificates, while accepting the same flags as OpenSSH. _teams evaluating identity-based access tools like Teleport can follow related infrastructure coverage on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [Getting started with SSH: Your complete guide to understanding the secure shell](https://daily.dev/posts/getting-started-with-ssh-your-complete-guide-to-understanding-the-secure-shell-kzltkr6dq) · All Things Open · 2 upvotes · 0 comments - [SSH Essentials: Working with SSH Servers, Clients, and Keys](https://daily.dev/posts/ssh-essentials-working-with-ssh-servers-clients-and-keys-hkehvz7fe) · DigitalOcean Community · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Jan-Piet Mens :: SSH certificates: the better SSH experience](https://daily.dev/posts/jan-piet-mens-ssh-certificates-the-better-ssh-experience-f1ftumowi) · Jan-Piet Mens · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Stop managing SSH keys on every server and switch to Teleport](https://daily.dev/posts/stop-managing-ssh-keys-on-every-server-and-switch-to-teleport-zoja48gov) · All Things Open · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- Tags: [#devops](https://daily.dev/tags/devops), [#linux](https://daily.dev/tags/linux), [#ssh](https://daily.dev/tags/ssh) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/ssh-client-config-file-example-wkkhr1oht) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"SSH Client Config File Example","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/ssh-client-config-file-example-wkkhr1oht","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/ssh-client-config-file-example-wkkhr1oht"},"datePublished":"2026-08-23T12:22:45.066Z","dateModified":"2026-08-23T12:55:47.218Z","description":"A walkthrough on creating and using SSH client config files to simplify connecting to remote servers, covering Host, HostName, Port, User, and IdentityFile...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--OHB84bZF--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2010","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--OHB84bZF--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2010","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"Teleport","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Teleport","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--Dw-Bbw6O--/c_limit,w_256/f_auto,q_auto/v1787487494/logos/teleport?_a=BAMAMicg0","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/teleport"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/ssh-client-config-file-example-wkkhr1oht","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":0},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"devops,linux,ssh","timeRequired":"PT4M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Teleport","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/teleport"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"SSH Client Config File Example"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/ssh-client-config-file-example-wkkhr1oht#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I set up an SSH config file to avoid typing connection parameters every time?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Create a file at ~/.ssh/config and define Host entries, each specifying HostName, User, Port, and IdentityFile, separated by blank lines. 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