SSH, The Secure Shell: The Definitive Guide, 2nd Edition

Client Configuration in Depth

ssh and scp take their cues from command-line options, configuration-file keywords, and environment variables. OpenSSH and Tectia clients behave differently and obey different settings, but as usual, we cover them simultaneously. When a setting is supported by only some of these products, we’ll say so.

Both OpenSSH and Tectia ssh will print a usage message briefly describing all its options:

    $ ssh --help

You can get the same effect if you omit all arguments (OpenSSH) or use -h (Tectia). Tectia will also print its version number on request, with the -V option:

    # Tectia
    $ ssh -V
    ssh: SSH Tectia Server 4.2.1 on i686-pc-linux-gnu
    Build: 1
    Released 2004-11-30 (YYYY-MM-DD).
    Crypto library version: SSH Cryptographic Library, version 1.2.4
    FIPS certification mode: DISABLED
    Product: SSH Tectia Server (T)
    License type: commercial

7.4.1 Remote Account Name

ssh and scp assume that your local and remote usernames are the same. If your local username is henry and you run:

    $ ssh server.example.com

ssh assumes your remote username is also henry and requests a connection to that account on server.example.com. If your remote account name differs from the local one, you must tell the SSH client your remote account name. For henry to connect to a remote account called sally, he can use the -l command-line option:

    $ ssh -l sally server.example.com

If copying files with scp, the syntax is different for specifying the remote account name, looking more like an email address. ...