Hosts and identities

XOps separates network addresses (Host), authentication identities (Identity), and connection nodes (Node). Multiple user identities can share one address.

xops host add --address 192.0.2.10 --user deploy --key ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 --alias web-01 --tags web
xops host list
xops host tags
xops host import hosts.csv --tag web

See xops host import --help and repository examples for CSV format and options. inventory remains a compatibility alias for host; prefer host in new scripts.

Verification policy for imports

By default, each CSV row is used to verify SSH authentication before its node and credentials are saved. A failed row reports the node ID, the failure, and that it was not saved. If the row targets an existing node, failed verification leaves its configuration and credentials unchanged.

Repeated rows for the same node are verified and saved in CSV order. Aliases accumulate, and a later successfully saved row can update the credentials. Different nodes are still processed concurrently. This ordering applies to all three verification modes, and results are always printed in CSV order.

IPv6 imports remain compatible with node IDs created by older versions without brackets, such as root@2001:db8::1:22. A match preserves and updates the existing node ID. Newly created IPv6 node IDs use brackets, such as root@[2001:db8::1]:22.

# Default: save only nodes that pass verification
xops host import hosts.csv
# Make no SSH connections and directly save all valid rows
xops host import hosts.csv --skip-verify
# Verify each row, but save it even if verification fails
xops host import hosts.csv --save-on-verify-failure

The two options are mutually exclusive. They also apply to host load, inventory import, and the legacy loadHost command. A verification failure returns a nonzero exit status, including when --save-on-verify-failure is used. Cancellation never forces a save. Skipping verification only skips the connection check; configuration and credential-store validation still run.

Adding one node

host add verifies the connection by default. If verification succeeds, it saves the node. If verification fails, it reports the reason and asks Save this node even though verification failed? [y/N]. Only an explicit y or yes saves the node; Enter, rejection, or an unreadable response leaves it unsaved. For unattended offline addition, specify:

xops host add --address 192.0.2.10 --user deploy --skip-verify

With --skip-verify, a node can be saved without a password, private key, or identity template and configured with credentials later. The TUI provides the same policy for adding a node; see the terminal management interface.

An explicit different user reuses the Host with a separate Identity/Node, without inheriting another user's credentials:

xops ssh deploy@web-01
xops ssh audit@192.0.2.10

Use xops identity --help for identity operations, or xops tui for the terminal management interface. Keep passwords out of shared command histories and documentation examples.