cloud-sandbox(1)

📦 version 1.78, in ubuntu jammy, ubuntu noble, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 cloud-sandbox — the manual, but make it cute 💖

okay bestie, so this is cloud-sandbox(1) from the bikeshed manual, and I am so excited to tell you about it because it's literally the "spin up a box and just be in it" tool. ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

cloud-sandbox — spin up a cloud instance and ssh straight into it, treating it like a lil 'sandbox' system 🧚

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

cloud-sandbox [instance-type [ubuntu-release]] [ec2-run-instance-options]

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

cloud-sandbox is a program that launches a cloud instance (EC2 by default), automatically generates ssh host keys, ssh's you into the launched system, and then prompts you about instance termination on exit. It's giving "one command, whole vibe." 💅

Here's the whole lil routine cloud-sandbox runs through:

  • conveniently supports simple parameters for instance-type and ubuntu-release, by passing those to ubuntu-ec2-run(1) — so you don't gotta hand-write the gnarly stuff, you just say what you want 🫶
  • generates ssh-host keys locally using ssh-keygen(1), and passes them to the instance 🔑
  • automatically adds host key fingerprints to a local host keys file, $HOME/.ssh/known_hosts.cloud, which removes the interactive fingerprint prompt — no "are you sure???" jumpscare, we love that for us 😭
  • uses ssh-import-id(1) in the instance to import the user's public SSH key, if the environment variable $LAUNCHPAD_ID exists 🌈
  • uses bootmail(1) to send the user email noting that the instance has booted, if the environment variable $BOOTMAIL exists and is a valid email address 📧
  • waits in a loop for sshd(8) to start on the cloud instance — patient queen behavior, lowkey ⏳
  • execs an ssh(1) session to the instance 👑
  • upon exit, interactively prompts the user if they want to immediately terminate the instance and remote the ssh known host key 🧹

💫 EXAMPLE 💫

cloud-sandbox

cloud-sandbox m1.large

cloud-sandbox t1.micro trusty

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

ubuntu-ec2-run(1), ssh-import-id(1), bootmail(1), ssh-keygen(1)

💜 AUTHOR 💜

This manpage and the utility was written by Dustin Kirkland <kirkland@ubuntu.com> for Ubuntu systems (but may be used by others). Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU General Public License, Version 3 published by the Free Software Foundation.

On Debian systems, the complete text of the GNU General Public License can be found in /usr/share/common-licenses/GPL, or on the web at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt.

and that's the whole page, bestie 💖 this one came from the bikeshed manual, dated 10 Oct 2011, and it ate, no cap. periodt. 💅✨

📦 where this page comes from