- 1 year ago
Establish SSH Tunnel as background windows service
To establish an SSH tunnel as a background Windows service, you can use a tool like NSSM (Non-Sucking Service Manager) along with an SSH client like OpenSSH. Here are the general steps to set it up:
Install OpenSSH: Install OpenSSH on your Windows machine. You can download the latest version of OpenSSH for Windows from the official GitHub repository: https://github.com/PowerShell/Win32-OpenSSH/releases
Configure SSH keys: Generate an SSH key pair (public and private key) using a tool like
ssh-keygen
. This will allow for passwordless authentication when connecting to the SSH server.Test the SSH tunnel: Manually test the SSH tunnel and ensure it works as expected. Open a command prompt and use the
ssh
command to establish the SSH tunnel.Install NSSM: Download and install NSSM (Non-Sucking Service Manager) from the official website: https://nssm.cc/. NSSM is a tool that allows you to run any program as a Windows service.
Configure the service: Use NSSM to create a new Windows service that will run the SSH tunnel as a background process. Open a command prompt and navigate to the directory where NSSM is installed. Run the following command to create the service:
nssm install MySSHService
Follow the prompts to configure the service. Provide the path to the
ssh.exe
executable in the "Path" field and specify the appropriate arguments to establish the SSH tunnel. For example:ruby"C:\Program Files\OpenSSH\ssh.exe" -N -L 8080:localhost:80 user@remote_server
Adjust the command with the appropriate parameters for your SSH tunnel setup.
Start the service: Once the service is configured, you can start it using the following command:
sqlnssm start MySSHService
The SSH tunnel will now be running as a background service.
NSSM provides additional options for managing the service, such as stopping, restarting, and logging. Refer to the NSSM documentation for more information on advanced configuration options.
Note: Setting up SSH tunnels as background services may involve security considerations. Ensure that you properly secure your SSH server, use strong authentication methods, and restrict access to the tunnel service as needed.
Please keep in mind that the specific steps and commands may vary depending on your environment and the SSH client you are using. It's recommended to refer to the documentation of the tools you are using for detailed instructions.