Save SSH hosts

A host is a saved server: its address, the username you sign in with, and how you sign in. Save a server once, and you can connect to it again with one click.

Add a host

1. Click New host. It is the plus button in the SSH section of the sidebar, and a button at the top of the Hosts tab.
2. In Address, type the server's name or IP address, for example example.com or 192.168.1.10.
3. In Port, keep 22 unless your server uses another port.
4. In Username, type the account you sign in with.
5. Under Sign-in, choose a method in Authentication. See Choose how to sign in.
6. Optional: fill in Label, Group, and Tags. See Organize your hosts.
7. Click Save and connect to save the host and open a session at once. Click Save to save it without connecting.

Only the address and the username are required. You can also paste user@host:port into Address. Termul fills in Username and Port from it.

The line under the dialog title shows where you will sign in, for example deploy@example.com:2222. Check it before you save.

Choose how to sign in

Authentication has three choices.

• Password. Type the password in Password, or leave it empty. If you leave it empty, Termul asks for the password each time you connect.
• Private key. Choose a key file. If Termul finds keys in your ~/.ssh folder, pick one from the list. You can also type the path, or click Browse. Termul tells you the key type and whether a passphrase protects it. If the key has a passphrase, a Key passphrase field appears. Leave it empty to be asked when you connect.
• SSH agent. Termul uses the keys loaded in your SSH agent: ssh-agent, Pageant, or the Windows OpenSSH agent. Termul stores no secret for this method.

Termul reads keys in OpenSSH and PEM format. Your key file stays where it is. Termul only stores its path.

If you pick the wrong file, Termul shows a message under the key field:

• This is the public key. You chose the .pub file. Choose the matching file without .pub.
• This file is not a private key. Choose another file.
• No file at this path. Check the path.
• Termul cannot read this file. Check the file's permissions.

Where Termul keeps your passwords

Termul saves passwords and key passphrases in your system keychain. That is Keychain on macOS, Credential Manager on Windows, and Secret Service on Linux. Termul does not write them to a file.

When you edit a host that has a saved password, the Password field says so. Leave the field empty to keep the saved password, or type a new one to replace it. When you delete a host, Termul also removes its saved password or passphrase from the keychain.

If you type a password when you connect, you choose whether to save it. See Sign in with a password.

Organize your hosts

Use the fields under Organize to find hosts faster.

• Label is the name in the host list and on session tabs. If you leave it empty, Termul uses the address.
• Group puts the host under a heading in the Hosts tab. Type a new group name, or pick a group you used before.
• Tags are short words, separated by commas, for example prod, web. They show under the host name, and search finds them.

The Hosts tab shows your favorites first, then one heading per group, then the hosts with no group.

Add a host to favorites

1. In the Hosts tab, click More actions (the three dots) on the host's row. You can also right-click the row.
2. Click Add to favorites.

A pin icon marks a favorite. Favorites also come first in the sidebar list. To undo, click Remove from favorites in the same menu.

Search your hosts

In the Hosts tab, type in the search box. Search matches the label, the address, the username, the group, and the tags. Press / to jump to the search box. Press Esc to clear it.

Hide addresses

Click the eye button (Show addresses) to show or hide usernames and addresses in the host lists. Hide them when you share your screen. The lists then show only each host's label and sign-in method.

Edit, duplicate, or delete a host

Right-click a host in the sidebar or in the Hosts tab, then click one of these:

• Edit opens the host's settings. Changes apply to new sessions. Sessions that are already open keep running.
• Duplicate makes a copy of the host. Use it for servers that share most settings.
• Delete removes the host after you confirm. If the host has open sessions, Termul closes them. You can't undo a delete.

You can also click the pencil button on a host's row to edit it.

Import hosts from your SSH config

If you already list your servers in ~/.ssh/config, import them instead of typing them again.

1. Click Import from ~/.ssh/config in the SSH section of the sidebar, or Import at the top of the Hosts tab.
2. Termul adds each Host entry as a host and shows how many it imported.

The import reads each entry's HostName, Port, User, and IdentityFile. An entry with an IdentityFile uses Private key. Other entries use Password. Termul skips entries with wildcards, such as Host *. It also skips a server you already saved with the same address, port, and username. Run the import again any time to pick up new entries.