# paramiko/paramiko

The leading native Python SSHv2 protocol library.

Repository: https://github.com/paramiko/paramiko
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/paramiko
Homepage: http://paramiko.org
Language: Python
License: LGPL-2.1
License Family: copyleft
Last push: 2026-05-09T19:58:37+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 69/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 81, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 6421, "days_push": 116, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 9837, forks 2074 (observed 2026-08-28T04:10:37.455540+00:00)

## What it is
Paramiko is a pure-Python implementation of the SSHv2 protocol providing both client and server functionality, built on the cryptography library. It serves as the foundation for the higher-level Fabric library and is intended for users needing low-level SSH primitives or an in-Python sshd.

## Use cases
- run remote shell commands over ssh from python
- transfer files with sftp in python
- implement an ssh server in python
- authenticate with ssh private keys programmatically
- create ssh tunnels and port forwarding
- automate ssh connections to servers in scripts

## When to choose
- you need low-level SSH protocol control in Python
- you want to run an in-Python sshd server
- you're building a higher-level SSH tool like Fabric
- you need fine-grained control over channels, keys, and host key verification

## When to avoid
- you just want to run remote commands or transfer files simply - use Fabric instead
- you need a standalone command-line ssh client - use OpenSSH
- you primarily target nonstandard SSH implementations like some Cisco or Windows servers, which are not fully supported

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: ssh, http-client, security, cryptography, file-system
- domain: developer-tools, networking, security
- platform: python, cross-platform, windows
- tags: sshv2, ssh-client, ssh-server, sftp, remote-execution, tunneling, fabric, automation, command-line, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- paramiko/paramiko (main) score 69

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:37.455540+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:20:54.868906+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/paramiko/paramiko (fetched 2026-08-28T04:10:37.455540+00:00, sha a446eb849ec5)
  - homepage: http://paramiko.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:30.285772+00:00, sha 8f36db92d2ca)
  - site_page: https://docs.paramiko.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:30.294908+00:00, sha c55904923f77)
  - site_page: https://www.paramiko.org/installing.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:30.297193+00:00, sha 9688cdf29a1a)
  - site_page: https://www.paramiko.org/installing-1.x.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:30.306048+00:00, sha 9546435724a1)
  - site_page: http://docs.paramiko.org (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:30.307787+00:00, sha c55904923f77)
  - registry_pypi: https://pypi.org/pypi/paramiko/json (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:30.309597+00:00, sha eea844017c66)
  - site_page: https://www.paramiko.org/changelog.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:30.299185+00:00, sha bcc28b55a478)
  - site_page: https://www.paramiko.org/faq.html (fetched 2026-08-29T08:20:30.304388+00:00, sha a65f477f81c9)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.