Getting Started with Smallstep SSH

Smallstep SSH is a commercial product that delivers a complete end-to-end SSH workflow combining the benefits of modern identity providers, SSH certificates, and proven standard technologies like OpenSSH and OAuth. The Professional Edition is a managed offering that takes the open source step-ca and adds automatic access control, end-to-end user lifecycle management, event activity logging, and reporting.

Before you begin, register for a smallstep account if you haven't already.

Step 1: Set up your client

Start by configuring SSH access on your laptop:

Step 2: Register Hosts

Register your hosts with Smallstep SSH:

Step 3: Set up Single Sign-on and Directory Sync

If you want to use Smallstep SSH in multi-user mode, you can sync with an identity provider. Note: Single Sign-on through your identity provider requires SSH Professional + Team level account or higher. [Click here for more pricing information] (/sso-ssh/pricing/#pricing).

Step 4: Grant Access

Establish access control rules:

Looking For Technical Details On The Product?

You can read more about the technical details of Smallstep SSH by visiting our how it works page. Learn how we protect your data, see our security page.