Connect to a remote Docker host using an SSH tunnel.

• Make sure you can connect to your remote Docker host using SSH public key authentication
• OpenSSH 6.7 minimum required at least on the server side.

• docker-tunnel can be installed directly on your host like this (Go has to be installed):

   $ go install github.com/aduermael/docker-tunnel

• You can also get the Docker image:

   $ docker pull aduermael/docker-tunnel

docker-tunnel has a small command line interface:

# type this if you installed directly on your host:
$ docker-tunnel
# or this if using the Docker image:
$ docker run --rm aduermael/docker-tunnel

# in both cases, you'll see something like this:
Usage:
  docker-tunnel [user@]host [flags]

Flags:
  -p, --proxy          proxy mode (don't start shell session)
  -s, --shell string   shell to open session (default "bash")
  -i, --sshid string   path to private key

docker-tunnel can be used in 2 different modes:

• shell mode (default): opens a shell session, bash by default but a different one can be requested using -s flag. From within this shell, all Docker commands are sent to the remote Docker host through an established SSH tunnel.

• proxy mode (using -p flag): exposes a Docker remote API on port 2375, proxying all requests over SSH to the remote Docker host.

In both modes, the -i flag can be used to give the location of your ssh identity file (private key).

Run container acting as a Docker remote API proxy to reach remote Docker host.

$ docker run --rm -v ~/.ssh/id_rsa:/ssh_id -p 127.0.0.1:2375:2375 \
aduermael/docker-tunnel 138.88.888.888 -i /ssh_id -p

# now in a different shell session you can do:
export DOCKER_HOST=tcp://127.0.0.1:2375
# all docker commands will now target the remote side (through the proxy)

Open a bash session to run containers on a remote Docker host, using files from your local environment:

$ docker-tunnel [email protected]