openssh unix dev - Dec 2022 - Is there any way in the ssh config file to shorten the "hostname's password" request?

Hi,

You might try setting the HOSTALIASES environment variable to point to a file
that maps short names to FQDN's.  See the hostname(7) and gethostbyname(3)
man pages for more detail.  However, in my experience this only works if nscd is
not running, and I don't know if it would address your particular use case.

-- 
Iain Morgan

?On 12/8/22, 06:21, "openssh-unix-dev on behalf of Chris Green"
<openssh-unix-dev-bounces+iain.morgan=nasa.gov at mindrot.org on behalf of cl
at isbd.net> wrote:

    I have an ssh login on a hosting service where the hostname of the
    system I log onto is ridiculously long:-

        qnhjuc5h8w3s at sxb1plzcpnl489538.prod.sxb1.secureserver.net

    So when I connect I get a very long "<name>'s password:"
which I find
    rather distracting, not to mention that it doesn't really tell me what
    I'm logging into.

    I know I can set alternative (shorter) host names by using 'Host'
    sections in my ssh config file so that I can 'ssh <shorter name>
to
    connect but is there any way of adding alias 'HostName' entries?

    I know I could add shorter names to /etc/hosts but this would only
    work where I have root access and is less easy to manage.  I have a
    common/shared ssh config file that I use across most of my systems and
    thus a change to that would be the nicest way to do it, if it's
    possible.

    -- 
    Chris Green
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