NAME

       cloud-sandbox - launch a cloud instance and ssh directly into it, as a '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 into the launched system, and prompts the user for instance termination on exit.

       cloud-sandbox does the following:
        - conveniently supports simple parameters for instance-type and  ubuntu-release,  by  passing  those  to
       ubuntu-ec2-run(1)
        - 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
        - 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
        - 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 lucid

CAVEATS

       Note that the network operations will be a little slower than perhaps you are used  to,  when  reading  a
       manpage.   Also note that you must be internet-connected, and able to access manpages.ubuntu.com for this
       utility to be useful.  Finally, the algorithm that dman uses to retrieve  remote  pages  is  considerably
       simpler than that of man(1).

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.

bikeshed                                           10 Oct 2011                                           dman(1)