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VSCode's SSH Agent Is Bananas (2025)

310 points · 218 comments · Rapzid

  1. danielklnstein · · focus · HN ↗
    Missing a (2025)

    FYI VSCode's SSH Agent is a godsend for remote development - the "disadvantages" that Fly lists are part of its advantages. I've worked in several teams that have made extensive use of the extension, and it's never been an issue. You can restrict SSH access arbitrarily to ensure whatever security or access guardrails you need.

    1. godelski · · focus · HN ↗
      As a Linux user I've hated VSCode's ssh. There's lot of annoying things that make it harder to admin for. Like it doesn't pick up the MotD, preventing me from showing users important messages. I've found that it also doesn't reuse sessions (at least by default. TBF, neither does ssh) and I'll find that there's just dozens of open sessions over months from users. I literally had to write a script to boot people...

      It would be one thing if the plugin was just a wrapper and people were still expected to know ssh but the plugin abstracts away all that and is intended to make it a "use VSCode on remote machine" tool. So it needs to do more than just handle creds, otherwise it creates a divergent experience while making people think it's just ssh

      1. Joker_vD · · focus · HN ↗
        I don't think I've ever paid attention to a MotD on any of the servers I had a ssh access to... what do people put there?
        1. Quarrel · · focus · HN ↗
          Right?

          Like, I used to, but it was in the early 1990s.. People look at them now?

          Next I'll be asking people to finger me to get my availability ..

          1. MomsAVoxell · · focus · HN ↗
            I miss fingering, it was such an easy way to get a log dump or status update from various daemons, I still think it has immense utility .. some of my fondest operator days were sat under the umbrella with a terminal while sleep 30 ; finger someone@all-the-things ; done .. watching the machines from afar.

            Can still do it these days of course, but one with a seriously copious helping of ssh in the mix too ..

            Trouble is, nobody else can do it. The only reason I have to use {social-media-blob} is because my friends don't know how to finger.

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