Question 1

How to handle SSH keys with SSHKit in Elixir?

Accepted Answer

Use the separate ssh_client_key_api package for custom key management, as SSHKit relies on Erlang's SSH which defaults to user home directories. This allows specifying keys and known_hosts files independently for better control in automated environments.

Question 2

SSHKit vs Bootleg for Elixir deployments?

Accepted Answer

SSHKit is a lower-level toolkit for structured server automation, giving fine-grained control over commands and file transfers. Bootleg is a full deployment tool built on SSHKit, offering out-of-the-box Capistrano-like features, so choose SSHKit for custom automation or Bootleg for ready-made deployment pipelines.

Question 3

Does SSHKit support parallel command execution on multiple servers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, SSHKit can run commands on one or multiple hosts simultaneously, as shown in the context example with lists of hosts. It returns results per host, enabling efficient orchestration of tasks across server fleets.

Question 4

How to upload an entire directory recursively with SSHKit?

Accepted Answer

Use the SSHKit.upload function with the recursive: true option, as demonstrated in the README example. This transfers directory trees via SCP, maintaining structure and permissions based on the configured context.

Question 5

Is SSHKit suitable for automating server backups?

Accepted Answer

Yes, SSHKit's structured context and SCP support make it well-suited for backup automation, such as uploading files or running backup commands. However, its lack of SFTP might limit integration with some backup tools that require it.

Question 6

What are common error handling patterns in SSHKit?

Accepted Answer

SSHKit returns tagged tuples like {:ok, _, 0} for successes and errors for failures, allowing pattern matching in Elixir. The documentation provides examples for robust error handling, such as retrying commands or logging failures per host.

sshkit

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