🔧 Set up SSH Server Action

Set up an SSH server on GitHub Actions runners for remote debugging and file access across Windows, macOS, and Linux.

This is only part of the solution - to actually connect to the SSH server, you'll need to expose it through:

• Jump host - Using a dedicated server as a proxy, see SSH Command & Port Forwarding Action
• Tailscale - For secure network mesh connections, see Tailscale Github Action
• ngrok - For temporary public tunnels, see Github Marketplace
• Other tunneling solutions

For a complete setup, see lexbritvin/ssh-session-action.

✨ Features

• 🌐 Cross-Platform Support - Works seamlessly on Windows, macOS, and Linux runners
• 🔐 Secure Authentication - SSH key-based authentication with GitHub profile integration
• ⚙️ Zero Configuration - Works out of the box with sensible defaults
• 🎯 Flexible Setup - Customizable ports, users, and key management
• 🔑 Auto Key Management - Automatically fetch SSH keys from GitHub profiles
• 🧹 Automatic Cleanup - Clean teardown when workflow completes
• 📊 Comprehensive Logging - Detailed setup and connection information

🚀 Quick Start

Basic Usage

- name: Set up SSH Server
  uses: lexbritvin/ssh-server-action@v1
  with:
    authorized-keys: |
      ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQAB... user@example.com
      ssh-ed25519 AAAAC3NzaC1lZDI1NTE5AAAA... another@example.com
    use-actor-ssh-keys: true

- name: Keep runner alive
  run: sleep 3600  # Keep alive for 1 hour

📋 Inputs

Input	Description	Required	Default
port	SSH server port		2222
user	SSH username (use :current for current user)		:current
authorized-keys	Authorized public keys (one per line)		-
use-actor-ssh-keys	Use workflow actor's GitHub SSH keys		false

📤 Outputs

Output	Description
hostname	SSH server hostname
port	SSH server port
username	SSH username
host-keys	SSH host public keys

🔒 Security Considerations

• SSH Keys: Always use SSH key authentication. Password authentication is disabled.
• Firewall: The action only opens the specified SSH port locally.
• Cleanup: SSH server is automatically stopped when the workflow ends.
• Access Control: Only specified authorized keys can connect.

Best Practices

1. Use Secrets: Store SSH keys in repository secrets
2. Limit Access: Only add necessary SSH keys
3. Monitor Usage: Use time limits to prevent indefinite running
4. Network Security: SSH server only binds to localhost

- name: Setup SSH with secrets
  uses: lexbritvin/ssh-server-action@v1
  with:
    authorized-keys: ${{ secrets.SSH_PUBLIC_KEYS }}

🌟 Platform Support

Platform	Status	Notes
Ubuntu	✅	Full support with apt packages
Windows	✅	Uses Windows OpenSSH capability
macOS	✅	Uses built-in SSH daemon

📄 License

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

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