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Configuration Guide

This guide covers configuring SSH Tools Suite for optimal performance and security.

Application Settings

Initial Setup

On first launch, the SSH Tunnel Manager will create default configuration directories:

  • Windows: %APPDATA%\SSHTunnelManager\
  • Linux: ~/.config/SSHTunnelManager/
  • macOS: ~/Library/Preferences/SSHTunnelManager/

Configuration Files

The application stores settings in the following files:

SSHTunnelManager/
├── settings.ini          # Application preferences
├── tunnels.json          # Tunnel configurations (backup)
└── logs/                 # Application logs
    ├── application.log
    └── tunnel_*.log

SSH Configuration

SSH Client Setup

Windows

Windows 10/11 includes OpenSSH by default. Verify installation:

ssh -V

If not available, install via Windows Features or download from OpenSSH for Windows.

Linux

Most distributions include OpenSSH client:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install openssh-client

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install openssh-clients

# Fedora
sudo dnf install openssh-clients

macOS

OpenSSH is pre-installed. Update via Homebrew if needed:

brew install openssh

SSH Key Configuration

Default Key Locations

The application searches for SSH keys in standard locations:

~/.ssh/
├── id_rsa              # RSA private key
├── id_rsa.pub          # RSA public key
├── id_ed25519          # ED25519 private key
├── id_ed25519.pub      # ED25519 public key
├── id_ecdsa            # ECDSA private key
├── id_ecdsa.pub        # ECDSA public key
├── authorized_keys     # Authorized public keys
├── known_hosts         # Known host keys
└── config              # SSH client configuration

SSH Client Configuration

Create or edit ~/.ssh/config for default settings:

# Global defaults
Host *
    ServerAliveInterval 60
    ServerAliveCountMax 3
    StrictHostKeyChecking ask
    UserKnownHostsFile ~/.ssh/known_hosts

# Specific host configuration
Host myserver
    HostName server.example.com
    User admin
    Port 22
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
    LocalForward 8080 localhost:80

Application Preferences

GUI Settings

Theme and Appearance

[appearance]
theme=dark              # dark, light, auto
font_size=10
window_geometry=100,100,1000,700

Behavior Settings

[behavior]
minimize_to_tray=true
auto_start_tunnels=false
confirm_deletions=true
save_window_state=true

Logging Configuration

[logging]
level=INFO              # DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, ERROR
max_log_size=10485760   # 10MB
backup_count=5
log_to_file=true

Security Settings

Authentication Preferences

[security]
prefer_key_auth=true
batch_mode=false
strict_host_checking=ask
connection_timeout=30

Key Management

[ssh_keys]
default_key_path=
auto_use_default=true
remember_last_used=true

Network Configuration

Firewall Settings

Windows Firewall

Allow SSH Tunnel Manager through Windows Defender Firewall:

  1. Open Windows Security
  2. Go to Firewall & network protection
  3. Click "Allow an app through firewall"
  4. Add SSH Tunnel Manager executable

Linux Firewall (UFW)

# Allow SSH
sudo ufw allow 22

# Allow specific tunnel ports
sudo ufw allow 8080
sudo ufw allow 8554

Proxy Configuration

If behind a corporate proxy, configure SSH to use it:

# In ~/.ssh/config
Host *
    ProxyCommand nc -X connect -x proxy.company.com:8080 %h %p

Performance Tuning

Connection Optimization

SSH Keep-Alive Settings

# In tunnel configuration or ~/.ssh/config
ServerAliveInterval 30
ServerAliveCountMax 3
TCPKeepAlive yes

Connection Multiplexing

# In ~/.ssh/config
Host *
    ControlMaster auto
    ControlPath ~/.ssh/master-%r@%h:%p
    ControlPersist 10m

Resource Limits

Maximum Tunnels

The application can handle multiple concurrent tunnels, but consider:

  • System resources: Each tunnel uses ~10-20MB RAM
  • Network bandwidth: Multiple tunnels share network capacity
  • SSH server limits: Target servers may limit connections

Port Range Configuration

Use ports 1024-65535 for local forwarding to avoid privilege requirements:

[network]
min_local_port=1024
max_local_port=65535
default_rtsp_port=8554

Import/Export Settings

Configuration Backup

Automatic Backup

The application automatically backs up configurations:

[backup]
auto_backup=true
backup_interval=24      # hours
max_backups=7
backup_location=auto    # auto, custom path

Manual Backup

Export all settings and configurations:

  1. File → Export → Complete Backup
  2. Includes:
  3. Tunnel configurations
  4. Application settings
  5. SSH key references (not private keys)

Migration Between Systems

Export from Source System

# Export configurations
ssh-tunnel-manager export --output=tunnels.json

# Copy SSH keys
cp -r ~/.ssh /path/to/backup/

Import to Target System

# Copy SSH keys first
cp -r /path/to/backup/.ssh ~/
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/*

# Import configurations
ssh-tunnel-manager import --input=tunnels.json

Troubleshooting Configuration

Common Issues

"Configuration Not Saved"

  • Check file permissions in config directory
  • Ensure adequate disk space
  • Verify application has write access

"SSH Keys Not Found"

  • Check key file permissions (should be 600)
  • Verify key path in configuration
  • Ensure SSH agent is running (if using agent)

"Settings Reset on Restart"

  • Check if configuration directory is read-only
  • Verify no conflicting settings files
  • Check for permission issues

Debug Configuration

Enable debug logging:

[logging]
level=DEBUG
console_output=true
debug_ssh=true

View logs: 

# Windows
type %APPDATA%\SSHTunnelManager\logs\application.log

# Linux/macOS
tail -f ~/.config/SSHTunnelManager/logs/application.log

Reset Configuration

Partial Reset

  1. Settings → Reset to Defaults
  2. Keeps tunnel configurations, resets preferences

Complete Reset

# Backup first
cp -r ~/.config/SSHTunnelManager ~/ssh-tunnel-backup

# Remove configuration
rm -rf ~/.config/SSHTunnelManager

# Restart application

Advanced Configuration

Custom SSH Command

Override default SSH command:

[ssh]
custom_command=/usr/local/bin/ssh
additional_args=-o PreferredAuthentications=publickey

Environment Variables

The application recognizes these environment variables:

# SSH configuration
export SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/path/to/ssh-agent
export SSH_AGENT_PID=12345

# Application settings
export SSH_TUNNEL_MANAGER_CONFIG=/custom/config/path
export SSH_TUNNEL_MANAGER_DEBUG=1

Integration with External Tools

SSH Agent Integration

# Start SSH agent
eval $(ssh-agent)

# Add keys
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

# Configure application to use agent

Terminal Customization

[terminal]
# Windows
terminal_command=wt.exe
# Linux
terminal_command=gnome-terminal
# macOS
terminal_command=open -a Terminal

Next Steps