Nu - Server Connection Manager for SSH, SSHFS & Remote Pipelines

Managing dozens of remote cloud servers, homelab machines, and client VMs often leads to unwieldy ~/.ssh/config files, forgotten port numbers, and repetitive manual mounting steps with SSHFS. Even worse, running one-off remote commands or piping tar archives across systems can feel clunky when juggling usernames and hostnames.

Nu is a fast, lightweight shell utility that streamlines server management by generating standalone, executable shortcuts in your ~/bin/ directory for direct SSH access, SSHFS mounting, and streaming UNIX pipelines.

What is Nu?

Nu takes four simple arguments—a memorable server name, username, IP/hostname, and SSH port—and provisions dedicated executable command wrappers:

~/bin/SERVERNAME: An interactive shell launcher and remote execution wrapper configured with SSH Agent forwarding (-A) and X11 forwarding (-X).
~/bin/MountSERVERNAME: An instant SSHFS mount script that mounts the remote root directory to ~/mnt/SERVERNAME.

Once defined, connecting to your server or mounting its filesystem is as easy as typing its name into your shell.

Check out the documentation and interactive playground at joshuacox.github.io/Nu or visit the GitHub repository.

Core Capabilities

First-Class Executable Aliases: Instead of relying on complex shell aliases or searching command history, Nu creates clean, portable scripts in ~/bin/.
Seamless SSHFS Mount Points: Prepares dedicated mount targets in ~/mnt/SERVERNAME and generates one-click mounting scripts.
SSH Agent & X11 Forwarding Built-In: Automatically configures -A and -X flags so keys and graphical utilities propagate smoothly without credential leakage.
Remote Pipeline Streaming: Easily pipe file archives, logs, or databases across machines using standard UNIX streams (tar, gzip, cat).
Built-in Host Ping Helper: Check remote connectivity immediately using SERVERNAME ping.
Zero Heavy Dependencies: Written purely in Bash; works on virtually any Linux or macOS workstation with openssh and sshfs.

Installation

One-Line Bootstrap

Install immediately into your environment:

curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/joshuacox/Nu/main/bootstrapNu.sh | bash

From Source (Autotools / Make)

git clone https://github.com/joshuacox/Nu.git
cd Nu
aclocal && autoconf && automake --add-missing
./configure
sudo make install

Make sure ~/bin is included in your system $PATH:

export PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"

How to Use Nu

1. Register a Server

Provision wrappers for a remote machine with a single command:

Nu Saruman root 10.0.0.12 2222

This immediately registers:

~/bin/Saruman
~/bin/MountSaruman
Mount target ~/mnt/Saruman

2. Instant SSH Access

Saruman

3. Mount the Filesystem Locally

Browse and edit remote files in your local text editor or GUI file manager:

MountSaruman
ls ~/mnt/Saruman/var/log

4. Run Remote Commands & Capture Output

Execute commands on the remote server and write the output locally:

Saruman 'uname -a; uptime' > server_health.txt

5. Stream Archives Over Pipes

Push a local directory to the remote host using tar:

tar zcf - ./myproject | Saruman 'tar zxvf - -C /opt/'

Or stream a remote directory directly back to your local workstation:

Saruman 'tar zcf - /var/backups' | tar zxvf -

6. Ping the Host

Quickly verify network reachability:

Saruman ping

Links & Documentation

Project Website: https://joshuacox.github.io/Nu/
GitHub Repository: https://github.com/joshuacox/Nu
Issue Tracker: https://github.com/joshuacox/Nu/issues

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