macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install sshuttlelocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install sshuttleMacPorts ports tree · net/sshuttle/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install sshuttle with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Proxy server that works as a poor man's VPN. Version 1.3.2 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add sshuttleAlpine Linux edge package indexes · sshuttle · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install sshuttleDebian stable package indexes · sshuttle · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install sshuttleFedora Rawhide package metadata · sshuttle · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#sshuttlenixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ss/sshuttle/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S sshuttleArch Linux sync databases · sshuttle · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install sshuttleopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · sshuttle · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Proxy server that works as a poor man's VPN
Project links
Commands and aliases
- sshuttle
history
Project history and usage
sshuttle is a transparent proxy over SSH that is commonly described as a poor man's VPN.
Project history
The upstream Git history begins in 2010, and the current documentation credits original author Avery Pennarun with earlier transparent-proxy and VPN experiments dating back to Tunnel Vision and Fast Forward in 1998. sshuttle combined those ideas into a tool that forwards TCP sessions over SSH without requiring a packet-level VPN on the remote side.
The project later moved into the `sshuttle/sshuttle` GitHub organization and Read the Docs documentation. Its release history shows long-lived maintenance from early 0.x tags through 1.x releases, with the documentation now covering Linux, macOS, BSD-family systems, pfSense, OpenWRT, ChromeOS, and Windows notes.
Adoption history
The supplied package metadata lists sshuttle in Homebrew, Alpine, Debian, Fedora, MacPorts, Nix, Arch, Ubuntu, and openSUSE-style packaging. That distribution breadth matches its role as a pragmatic command-line networking tool: it is often installed when a developer has SSH access to a machine but no usable VPN.
How it is used
Typical usage is `sshuttle -r user@sshserver 0/0` to route traffic through a remote host, optionally adding DNS forwarding or subnet discovery. The docs stress that sshuttle uploads and runs its Python server component over the SSH connection, so the remote side only needs a suitable Python interpreter and an SSH account.
Why package nerds care
sshuttle is significant in package-manager culture because it occupies a durable CLI niche between OpenSSH port forwarding and full VPN software. It gives developers a one-command network escape hatch, while package maintainers have to care about local firewall backends, Python compatibility, and platform-specific routing behavior.
Timeline
- 1998: Avery Pennarun released earlier transparent-proxy and VPN-related tools that the sshuttle docs cite as conceptual predecessors.
- 2010: Initial sshuttle commits and early 0.x tags appeared.
- 2016: Sphinx/Read the Docs documentation and renewed 0.7x releases documented BSD, macOS, and Python updates.
- 2020: 1.0.0 added Python 3.8 support, nftables method work, sshpass support, and packaging documentation updates.
- 2025: 1.3.2 documentation identified the project as current stable documentation.
Related projects
- sshuttle is related to OpenSSH port forwarding, VPN systems such as IPsec and OpenVPN, and transparent proxy tools, but its docs distinguish it by forwarding sessions rather than packets.
Sources
- Git history from https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle
- https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle#readme
- https://sshuttle.readthedocs.io/en/stable/changes.html
- https://sshuttle.readthedocs.io/en/stable/manpage.html
- https://sshuttle.readthedocs.io/en/stable/overview.html
- https://sshuttle.readthedocs.io/en/stable/trivia.html
- https://sshuttle.readthedocs.io/en/stable/usage.html
- source_facts.package-manager
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:ssh,server
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 platform targets.
- Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
sshuttle | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version1.3.2
manager updated
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle
- infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttlenone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:sshuttle |
|---|---|
| Version | 1.3.2 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/sshuttle |
| Homepage | https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle |
| Repository | https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle#readme |
| License | LGPL-2.1-or-later |
| Source archive | https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/f3/fd/18f958bb11d6ae59c8a1388bf03152499270eb9e2ac5ed544b551a693f4f/sshuttle-1.3.2.tar.gz |
| Dependencies | python@3.14 |
| Bottle | available (on all) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | sshuttle |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 0 |
| Head Version | HEAD |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
sshuttle 1.3.1-1
Transparent proxy server for VPN over SSH
https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle
sudo apt install sshuttle- Section: net
- Architecture: all
- 8 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sshuttle
Nix95%
sshuttle
nix profile install nixpkgs#sshuttle- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sshuttle
Ubuntu apt95%
sshuttle 1.1.1-2ubuntu2
Transparent proxy server for VPN over SSH
https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle
sudo apt install sshuttle- Section: universe/net
- Architecture: all
- 9 dependencies
- 2 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sshuttle
apk95%
sshuttle 1.3.2-r1
Transparent proxy server using ssh
https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle
sudo apk add sshuttle- License: GPL-2.0-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: sshuttle
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sshuttle
apk95%
sshuttle-doc 1.3.2-r1
Transparent proxy server using ssh (documentation)
https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle
sudo apk add sshuttle-doc- License: GPL-2.0-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: sshuttle
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sshuttle
apk95%
sshuttle-pyc 1.3.2-r1
Precompiled Python bytecode for sshuttle
https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle
sudo apk add sshuttle-pyc- License: GPL-2.0-only
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: sshuttle
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sshuttle
dnf95%
sshuttle 1.3.2-3.fc45
Transparent Proxy VPN
https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle
sudo dnf install sshuttle- License: LGPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: sshuttle
- 4 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sshuttle
pacman95%
sshuttle 1.3.2-2
Transparent proxy server that forwards all TCP packets over ssh
https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle
sudo pacman -S sshuttle- License: LGPL-2.1-or-later
- Architecture: any
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sshuttle
zypper95%
sshuttle 1.3.2-1.3
VPN over an SSH tunnel
https://github.com/sshuttle/sshuttle
sudo zypper install sshuttle- License: LGPL-2.1-only
- Category: Development/Languages/Python
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: sshuttle
- 7 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sshuttle
MacPorts95%
sshuttle
sudo port install sshuttle- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Sshuttle
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment