SSH and SFTP
Fix connection problems
What each SSH connection error means and how to fix it.
This works in the desktop app only.
When a connection fails, the session tab shows a title and a hint. Find the title below to see what to do. In the titles, <host> is the server address and <user> is the username.
To see the exact error, click Technical details in the tab. After you fix the problem, click Try again.
The server can't be reached
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Can't find <host> | The address did not resolve. Check its spelling in the host settings, then check your network and DNS. |
| <host> refused the connection | No SSH server listens on that port. Check the port, and check that the SSH service runs on the server. |
| <host> didn't respond in time | The server may be offline, or a firewall may block the port. Check your network, then try again. |
| Can't reach <host> | Your computer has no network path to the server. Check your connection or your VPN. |
| Couldn't start a secure connection | The service on that port is not an SSH server. Check the port in the host settings. |
| Host details are incomplete | Check the address, the port, and the username in the host settings. |
The server rejects your sign-in
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Wrong username or password | Check the username in the host settings, then type the password again. |
| The server rejected your key | Add your public key to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys for that user on the server, or choose another key. |
| No agent key was accepted | Load the right key into your SSH agent with ssh-add, or choose a key file in the host settings. |
| The server doesn't allow this sign-in method | The server has that method turned off. Choose another Authentication method in the host settings. |
| Wrong passphrase | The passphrase did not unlock the key. Type it again. |
Termul can't use your key or agent
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Private key not found | The key file moved or was deleted. Choose the key again in the host settings. |
| Termul can't use this key | Choose a private key in OpenSSH or PEM format. If the key is a PuTTY .ppk file, convert it to OpenSSH format with PuTTYgen. |
| SSH agent not available | Start your SSH agent and add a key with ssh-add. You can also choose a key file in the host settings. |
Other problems
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Server not trusted | You clicked Cancel on the server's key, so Termul sent no credentials. Connect again to review the key. |
| Signed in, but the shell didn't start | The server refused a terminal. Check the account's login shell and the server's session limits. |
| Too many terminals open | Close a terminal or a session tab, then try again. |
| This host was removed | The host was deleted while the tab was open. Close the tab, or add the host again. |
| Connection cancelled | You clicked Cancel. Connect again when you are ready. |
If the server's key changed, see If the server's identity changed.