How to Save SSH Profiles on Ubuntu, macOS, and Windows (Git Bash)

If you often connect to servers via SSH — whether on Ubuntu, macOS, or Windows — typing full commands every time can be tedious:

ssh -i /path/to/key.pem user@your-server-ip -p 22

Instead, you can create SSH profiles and connect instantly with a short command like:

ssh myserver

Why Use SSH Profiles?

SSH profiles let you store connection details such as:

• Host name or IP address
• Username
• Port number
• SSH key path

This makes managing multiple servers (production, staging, development, etc.) much easier and more organized.

Step 1: Locate or Create the SSH Config File

The SSH configuration file is stored in your home directory under .ssh/config.

If the folder does not exist, create it:

mkdir -p ~/.ssh

Step 2: Create or Edit the Config File

Open the file in a terminal text editor such as Nano:

nano ~/.ssh/config

Add your SSH profile configuration:

# Basic SSH profile
Host myserver
    HostName your.server.ip
    User username
    Port 22
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/private_key_file

Each Host block represents a profile. You can name it anything you like.

Step 3: Secure the File Permissions

On Ubuntu or macOS, run the following commands to set correct permissions:

chmod 700 ~/.ssh
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/config
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/*

Note: On Windows, Git Bash may ignore these permissions, but it's good practice to set them for consistency.

Step 4: Connect Using Your Profile

After saving the file, connect using your profile name:

ssh myserver

SSH will automatically use the settings from your configuration file.

Step 5: Add Multiple Servers (Optional)

You can store multiple profiles in the same config file:

# Staging server
Host staging
    HostName staging.server.ip
    User ubuntu
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/staging.pem

# Production server
Host production
    HostName production.server.ip
    User ec2-user
    Port 2222
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/production.pem

Now you can connect easily:

ssh staging
# or
ssh production

Alternative: Use an Alias

If you prefer not to use an SSH config file, you can define a simple alias.

For Ubuntu/macOS:

Add this line to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc file:

alias myssh='ssh -i ~/.ssh/private_key_file user@your.server.ip -p 22'

Reload your shell:

source ~/.bashrc  # or source ~/.zshrc

For Windows (Git Bash):

Add the same alias to your ~/.bashrc file and reload it.

Summary

• File name: config
• Extension: none
• Location: .ssh folder in your home directory
• Purpose: Store multiple SSH profiles for quick connections

Final Thoughts

Setting up SSH profiles saves time and reduces mistakes when connecting ACto servers. Whether you're managing cloud servers, staging environments, or local VMs, this method provides a clean and efficient way to handle SSH connections.

Once configured, you can simply run:

ssh myserver

and connect instantly on any operating system.

Pro Tip: For even faster access, consider setting up SSH key-based authentication to eliminate password prompts. Combine this with SSH agent forwarding for a seamless experience across multiple servers.

Need help with your server setup? Contact our DevOps team for expert assistance with SSH configurations and server management.