AWS

GitHub Actions SSH into AWS EC2

This tutorial shows ways to SSH into AWS EC2 without third-party actions.

Before you start, make sure you have the three things and make sure you can connect to EC2 with them:

AWS EC2 remote hostname
AWS EC2 username
AWS EC2 SSH private key

Add Private Key to GitHub

GitHub allows you store sensitive information in "Secrets", click "New repository secret" to add your private key and save it.
github-add-secret

If you want to add a new user for EC2 to separate users, you can check this tutorial.

Add Workflows

Under your repository's directory ".github", add directory "workflows". Then create a yml file to define GitHub actions, put the following content in the yml file, and replace all string starts with "!!" to your own value. Now you can trigger the GitHub Actions by pushing or pulling request to "main" branch.

	name: ssh-into-aws-ec2

	on:
	push:
	branches: [ "main" ]
	pull_request:
	branches: [ "main" ]

	env:
	# bucket_name: "<example-bucket-name>"
	AWS_REGION: !!your-aws-region
	REMOTE_HOST: "!!replace with your aws remote host"
	REMOTE_USER: "!!replace with your ec2 username"

	permissions:
	contents: read
	id-token: write

	jobs:
	test:
	runs-on: ubuntu-latest

	steps:
	- name: Git clone the repository
	uses: actions/checkout@v3
	- name: Configure SSH
	run: \|
	mkdir -p ~/.ssh/
	echo "$SSH_KEY" > ~/.ssh/github-actions-key
	chmod 600 ~/.ssh/github-actions-key
	cat >>~/.ssh/config <<END
	Host ec2
	HostName $SSH_HOST
	User $SSH_USER
	IdentityFile ~/.ssh/github-actions-key
	StrictHostKeyChecking no
	END
	env:
	SSH_HOST: ${{ env.REMOTE_HOST }}
	SSH_USER: ${{ env.REMOTE_USER }}
	SSH_KEY: ${{ secrets.!!secrets_key_name }}
	- name: List home directory
	run: ssh ec2 'ls -la'

view raw ssh-into-aws-ec2.yml hosted with ❤ by GitHub

Add Private Key to GitHub

Add Workflows

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