SSH & SCP Cheatsheet

An SSH & SCP cheatsheet: connect, generate and copy keys, set up port-forwarding tunnels, copy files with scp/rsync, and write a ~/.ssh/config entry — copy-ready with editable host, user, port, and key fields.

Explain a command

Connect

Connect to a host
ssh @
Connect on a non-default port
ssh @ -p
Connect with a specific key
ssh -i @
Run a single command remotely
ssh @ ''

Keys

Generate an ed25519 key pair
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C ""
Install your public key on a host
ssh-copy-id @
Add a key to the agent
ssh-add

Tunnels (port-forwarding)

Local forward (reach a remote service locally)
ssh -L :: @
Background tunnel (no shell)
ssh -fN -L :localhost: @
Remote forward (expose a local service)
ssh -R :localhost: @
Dynamic SOCKS proxy
ssh -D -fN @

Copy files

Copy a local file to a host
scp @:
Copy a remote file down
scp @:
Copy a directory recursively
scp -r @:
Sync a directory over SSH (fast, resumable)
rsync -avz -e ssh @:

Config

~/.ssh/config host alias
# ~/.ssh/config Host HostName User Port IdentityFile
Then just `ssh <alias>`. Put this in ~/.ssh/config.

16 commands. Copy-ready with editable placeholders — everything runs in your browser, nothing is sent to a server.