* nix-copy-closure: start only one SSH connection to the server, or

recycle an already existing connection (using  OpenSSH's connection
  sharing feature).

scripts/ssh.pm

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+use strict;
+use File::Temp qw(tempdir);
+
+our @sshOpts = split ' ', ($ENV{"NIX_SSHOPTS"} or "");
+
+my $sshStarted = 0;
+my $sshHost;
+
+# Open a master SSH connection to `host', unless there already is a
+# running master connection (as determined by `-O check').
+sub openSSHConnection {
+    my ($host) = @_;
+    die if $sshStarted;
+    $sshHost = $host;
+    return if system("ssh $sshHost @sshOpts -O check 2> /dev/null") == 0;
+
+    my $tmpDir = tempdir("nix-ssh.XXXXXX", CLEANUP => 1, TMPDIR => 1)
+        or die "cannot create a temporary directory";
+    
+    push @sshOpts, "-S", "$tmpDir/control";
+    system("ssh $sshHost @sshOpts -M -N -f") == 0
+        or die "unable to start SSH: $?";
+    $sshStarted = 1;
+}
+
+# Tell the master SSH client to exit.
+sub closeSSHConnection {
+    if ($sshStarted) {
+        system("ssh $sshHost @sshOpts -O exit 2> /dev/null") == 0
+            or warn "unable to stop SSH master: $?";
+    }
+}
+
+END { closeSSHConnection; }
+
+return 1;