ssh-import-id
Authorize SSH public keys from trusted online identities
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you regularly grant SSH access to cloud instances or servers and want to eliminate manual key-copying workflows. The low install friction, active maintenance, and absence of vulnerabilities make it safe to use. GPLv3 copyleft is not a barrier for most use cases. Verify Python version compatibility before deploying to older systems.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Low friction: pure Python wheel with a single runtime dependency (distro).
- Marked active maintenance with a recent release (179 days ago).
- No known vulnerabilities.
License · maintenance · safety
GPLv3 (copyleft) — GPLv3 copyleft license: you may use and modify the package freely, but any derivative work or distribution must also be licensed under GPLv3 and have source code available.
last release 2026-02-16 (179 days)
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 129,600 downloads/mo, #11,664 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install ssh-import-id
ssh-import-id gh:username
# Or import from multiple services:
ssh-import-id gh:user1 gl:user2 lp:user3- Whether the package still works with modern Python versions (requires_python is unspecified in metadata)
- Current state of GitHub/GitLab/Launchpad API compatibility
- Whether self-hosted GitLab support via GITLAB_URL environment variable is still functional
What it is and what it does
ssh-import-id is a command-line tool that automates the process of granting SSH access to cloud instances or servers by fetching public keys directly from trusted online identity providers. Instead of asking collaborators to manually share their SSH keys via chat or email, you run a single command with their GitHub, GitLab, or Launchpad username, and their public keys are automatically added to your authorized_keys file.
The tool is designed for quick team collaboration scenarios—when you need to give a colleague temporary SSH access to debug an issue or review logs. It supports importing multiple users from different services in one command and can be extended with custom key providers via executable scripts. The package depends only on distro for runtime operation and has no known security vulnerabilities.
Use it for
- Grant SSH access to a colleague on a cloud instance without manually exchanging SSH keys
- Quickly add multiple team members' keys from GitHub during server onboarding
- Provision SSH access for self-hosted GitLab instances by setting GITLAB_URL environment variable
- Automate SSH key management in deployment or infrastructure scripts
- Extend with custom identity providers by creating ssh-import-id-* handler scripts
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you regularly grant SSH access to cloud instances or servers and want to eliminate manual key-copying workflows.
The low install friction, active maintenance, and absence of vulnerabilities make it safe to use. GPLv3 copyleft is not a barrier for most use cases. Verify Python version compatibility before deploying to older systems.
Install
ssh-import-id on PyPI
Before you install
Low friction: pure Python wheel with a single runtime dependency (distro). Marked active maintenance with a recent release (179 days ago). No known vulnerabilities.
License in practice
GPLv3 copyleft license: you may use and modify the package freely, but any derivative work or distribution must also be licensed under GPLv3 and have source code available.
Quickstart
pip install ssh-import-id
ssh-import-id gh:username
# Or import from multiple services:
ssh-import-id gh:user1 gl:user2 lp:user3Verify before relying
- Whether the package still works with modern Python versions (requires_python is unspecified in metadata)
- Current state of GitHub/GitLab/Launchpad API compatibility
- Whether self-hosted GitLab support via GITLAB_URL environment variable is still functional
Package facts
| License | GPLv3 copyleft |
| Python support | Not specified |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 1 packagedistro |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 179 days since the last release |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 129,600 / month, #11,664 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
Evidence: ssh_import_id-5.13-py3-none-any.whl
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See also id · sshpubkeys · git-url-parse · launchpadlib · cybrid-api-id-python · oauthenticator · giturlparse · oidc-provider-mock · apache-airflow-providers-ssh · python-keystoneclient