kevinwang15/quick-ssh-server repository overview

⁠Quick SSH Server

This Docker image provides a simple and fast way to set up an SSH server. The server allows root login with password or SSH key authentication. Pre-generated SSH keys are used to ensure consistent host keys across container restarts.

⁠Features

• Based on the latest Ubuntu image.
• OpenSSH server pre-installed and configured.
• Root login enabled with password and/or SSH key authentication.
• Root password set via an environment variable.
• SSH key authentication with persistent authorized_keys storage.
• Gateway ports enabled for reverse SSH tunneling.
• Consistent SSH host keys for reliable host fingerprinting.

⁠Usage

⁠Using Docker Compose (Recommended)

The easiest way to run the SSH server with persistent SSH key storage:

# Set password and start
PASSWORD=yoursecurepassword docker-compose up -d

# Or create a .env file with PASSWORD=yoursecurepassword
docker-compose up -d

This will:

• Use host networking for better reverse tunneling support
• Mount ./ssh-keys directory for persistent SSH key storage
• Support both password and SSH key authentication

⁠Using the Pre-built Image

To get started quickly, you can use the pre-built Docker image available on Docker Hub:

docker pull kevinwang15/quick-ssh-server:latest
docker run -d -p 2222:22 -e PASSWORD=yourpassword kevinwang15/quick-ssh-server:latest

⁠Build the Docker Image

If you prefer to build the Docker image yourself, run the following command in the directory containing the Dockerfile:

docker build -t quick-ssh-server .

⁠Run the Docker Container

⁠Basic Usage (Password Only)

docker run -d -p 2222:22 -e PASSWORD=yourpassword quick-ssh-server

⁠With SSH Key Support

mkdir -p ssh-keys
docker run -d -p 2222:22 -v ./ssh-keys:/root/.ssh -e PASSWORD=yourpassword quick-ssh-server

⁠Host Network Mode (for reverse tunneling)

docker run -d --network host -v ./ssh-keys:/root/.ssh -e PASSWORD=yourpassword -e SSH_PORT=2222 quick-ssh-server

⁠Setting Up SSH Key Authentication

1. Create the ssh-keys directory:

   mkdir -p ssh-keys
   

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2. Add your public key to authorized_keys:

   # Copy your public key to authorized_keys
   cp ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub ssh-keys/authorized_keys
   
   # Or append multiple keys
   cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub >> ssh-keys/authorized_keys
   cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub >> ssh-keys/authorized_keys
   

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3. Set proper permissions:

   chmod 600 ssh-keys/authorized_keys
   

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4. Start the container:

   docker-compose up -d
   

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⁠Connect to the SSH Server

⁠Password Authentication

ssh root@localhost -p 2222

⁠SSH Key Authentication

ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa root@localhost -p 2222

⁠Reverse SSH Tunneling

With GatewayPorts enabled, you can create reverse tunnels:

# Forward remote port 8080 to local port 3000
ssh -R 8080:localhost:3000 root@yourserver -p 2222

# Forward remote port 80 to local port 8000 (accessible from any interface)
ssh -R 0.0.0.0:80:localhost:8000 root@yourserver -p 2222

⁠Environment Variables

• PASSWORD: The password for the root user. This variable is required and must be set at runtime.
• SSH_PORT: The port SSH server listens on. Defaults to 22, but docker-compose defaults to 2222 to avoid conflicts with host SSH.

⁠Examples

⁠Quick Start with Docker Compose

# Clone or download this repository
git clone <repository-url>
cd quick-ssh-server

# Start with password authentication (uses port 2222 by default)
PASSWORD=mysecurepassword docker-compose up -d

# Connect via password
ssh root@localhost -p 2222

# Or specify custom port
SSH_PORT=2223 PASSWORD=mysecurepassword docker-compose up -d
ssh root@localhost -p 2223

⁠SSH Key Authentication Setup

# Create ssh-keys directory and add your public key
mkdir -p ssh-keys
cp ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub ssh-keys/authorized_keys
chmod 600 ssh-keys/authorized_keys

# Start the server
PASSWORD=mysecurepassword docker-compose up -d

# Connect with SSH key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa root@localhost -p 2222

⁠Reverse Tunneling Example

# Start the SSH server
PASSWORD=mysecurepassword docker-compose up -d

# From a remote machine, forward port 8080 to your local web server
ssh -R 8080:localhost:3000 root@your-server-ip -p 2222

# Now port 8080 on your server forwards to port 3000 on the remote machine

⁠License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE⁠ file for details.