View source for Create shortcut log-in command

It can be very tedious to have to type full command to log into a remote machine using the secure shell (ssh) when a remote machine is used often.

== Add a custom command to the .bashrc ==
A simple solution is to add a custom command to the .basrc. Open the .bashrc (which is in the root of home directory) using any plain text editor. E.g.:
<source lang='bash'>
vi $HOME/.bashrc
</source>

Then, using the <code>alias</code> function, define a new function derived from the <code>ssh</code> command and your personal credentials:
<source lang='bash'>
alias lx7="ssh username@scomp1095.wurnet.nl"
alias hpc="ssh username@nfs01.hpcagrogenomics.wur.nl"
</source>

The new function will be available from next login, therefore log out of the active terminal and log back in. From the freshly opened terminal, issuing the following command:
<source lang='bash'>
lx7
</source>
should give you direct access to <code>scomp1095</code>, for instance. If you do this in combination with a [[ssh_without_password | passwordless setup]], you will not even be prompted for a password.

== Using a ssh config file ==
Instead of using the alias function, it is possible to use a ssh config file. The ssh config file can be found at $HOME/.ssh/config .
If the ssh config file does not exist, you can create it with, e.g.,:
<source lang='bash'>
touch $HOME/.ssh.config  
</source>
If the ssh config file exists, you can add the different options you use to log in of the different servers/clusters. For example, for the B4F HPC, you can add:

<source lang='bash'>
Host hpc
 Hostname nfs01.hpcagrogenomics.wur.nl
 User username
 IdentityFile PATH_TO_PRIVATE_KEY (if applicable)
 ForwardX11 yes (if applicable)
</source>

After the addition to the ssh congig file, you can log in as follows:
<source lang='bash'>
ssh hpc 
</source>

You may add to the ssh config file several configurations for the same or several clusters. For example, for the two aliases in the section [[Add a custom command to the .bashrc | Add a custom command to the .bashrc ]], you can add the following lines to your ssh config file:
<source lang='bash'>
Host scomp
 HostName scomp1095.wurnet.nl
 User username
Host hpc
 Hostname nfs01.hpcagrogenomics.wur.nl
 User username
</source>

For more information on the possible different options for the ssh config file, you may consult the [http://linux.die.net/man/5/ssh_config man page].

== See also ==
* [[ssh_without_password | ssh without password]]
* [[Lx6_and_Lx7_compute_nodes | Lx6 and Lx7 compute nodes]]
* [[log_in_to_B4F_cluster | Logging into cluster using ssh and file transfer]]

== External links ==