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SSH Connections

Termial provides a powerful SSH client with support for multiple authentication methods, jump hosts, and secure credential storage.

Creating a Connection

  1. Click the + button in the sidebar under Connections
  2. Select New SSH Connection
  3. Fill in the connection details:
    • Hostname: Server address or IP
    • Port: SSH port (default: 22)
    • Username: Your username on the server
    • Authentication: Choose your authentication method
    • Label (optional): A friendly name for the connection
    • Color (optional): Color code for easy identification

Authentication Methods

Password

The simplest authentication method:

  1. Select Password as the authentication method
  2. Enter your password
  3. Optionally save the password to your encrypted storage for future connections

Private Key

Use SSH key authentication:

  1. Select Private Key as the authentication method
  2. Click Select Key File
  3. Navigate to your key file (typically ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 or ~/.ssh/id_rsa)
  4. If your key has a passphrase, enter it when prompted

Creating SSH Keys

Generate SSH keys using your terminal:

ED25519 (recommended):

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"

RSA (for older servers):

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com"

Copy the public key to your server:

ssh-copy-id user@server

Or manually add to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on the server.

Common Key Locations

PlatformDefault Location
macOS/Linux~/.ssh/id_ed25519 or ~/.ssh/id_rsa
WindowsC:\Users\<username>\.ssh\id_ed25519

Jump Hosts (Bastion Servers)

Jump hosts allow you to connect to servers that aren't directly accessible from your network. This is common in enterprise environments where you must go through a bastion server to reach internal systems.

Note: Jump hosts are a PRO feature.

Why Use Jump Hosts?

  • Security: Internal servers don't need public IP addresses
  • Compliance: All access goes through audited bastion servers
  • Network isolation: Reach servers in private subnets

Configuring Jump Hosts

  1. Create or edit a connection
  2. Go to the Jump Hosts tab
  3. Click Add Jump Host
  4. Configure the jump host:
    • Use Saved Connection: Select an existing saved connection
    • Manual Configuration: Enter host, port, username manually
  5. Choose authentication for the jump host:
    • Password
    • Stored Credential (from your encrypted storage)
    • Local Key File

Multiple Jump Hosts

For complex network topologies, add multiple jump hosts:

  1. Add additional jump hosts using Add Jump Host
  2. Use Move Up / Move Down to reorder
  3. Termial connects through each hop in order

Example chain: Your Computer → Bastion → Internal Jump → Target Server

Managing Connections

Editing Connections

  1. Right-click a connection in the sidebar
  2. Select Edit
  3. Make your changes
  4. Click Save

Deleting Connections

  1. Right-click a connection in the sidebar
  2. Select Delete
  3. Confirm the deletion

Connecting

  • Double-click a connection to open it in a new tab
  • Right-click → Connect to open in a new tab

Quick Search

Find connections quickly:

  • Press Cmd+P (macOS) or Ctrl+P (Windows/Linux)
  • Start typing the connection name or hostname
  • Select from the results to connect

Advanced Settings

When creating or editing a connection, the Advanced tab provides additional options:

Startup Command

Run a command automatically after connecting:

  1. Go to the Advanced tab
  2. Enter your command in Startup Command
  3. Example: cd /var/www && ls -la

Host Key Verification

Termial verifies host keys to protect against man-in-the-middle attacks.

First Connection

When connecting to a new server, you'll see the host key fingerprint. Verify it matches the server's key before accepting.

Key Changed Warning

If a host key changes unexpectedly, Termial warns you. This could indicate:

  • Server was reinstalled
  • Man-in-the-middle attack
  • Server configuration change

Investigate before accepting the new key.

Managing Known Hosts

View and manage stored host keys:

  1. Go to Settings → Known Hosts (if available)
  2. View all saved host keys
  3. Delete entries if servers were reinstalled

Connection Sync

When signed in with a Termial account:

  • Connections sync across all your devices
  • Credentials are encrypted before sync
  • Changes propagate automatically

See Cloud Sync for more details.