Pigeons

Pigeons is a tool designed to enable SSH access to machines located behind NATs or firewalls without requiring an IP address, port forwarding, or VPN. It addresses the common challenge of connecting to remote systems that are otherwise inaccessible due to network restrictions, offering a solution that bypasses the need for traditional methods such as reverse tunnels or bastion hosts.

The tool operates by using public key authentication, specifically generating an Ed25519 public key as a persistent ID for each machine. Users can start a 'roost' to accept incoming SSH connections, with the generated ID remaining consistent across restarts. To connect, a user adds a 'pigeon route' which writes an entry to their SSH config, allowing them to initiate a standard SSH session to the remote machine using the assigned name. This process works regardless of the network location of either machine, facilitating seamless remote access.

Pigeons can be installed via a bash one-liner and supports setup as a system service to ensure that the roost is always available for incoming connections. It is compatible with Linux (systemd), macOS (launchd), and Windows (SCM), making it adaptable to various environments. The tool is made by number 0, as indicated on its site.