Connect to a host

A session is a terminal that runs on the server. Each session opens in its own tab in the SSH workspace. You can open several sessions to the same host.

Open a session

Use any of these:

• In the Hosts tab, click the host's row.
• In the SSH section of the sidebar, double-click the host. You can also hover the host and click the terminal button.
• Right-click a host and click Connect. If the host already has a session, the item reads Open another session.
• Press Ctrl+K (Cmd+K on macOS) to open the command palette. Type the host's label, then choose SSH: <label>.

A new tab opens and shows the connection steps. For a host example.com with the username deploy, the steps are:

1. Connect to example.com
2. Verify server identity
3. Sign in as deploy
4. Open shell

When the steps finish, the tab shows the server's terminal. To stop while Termul connects, click Cancel.

Verify the server the first time

The first time you connect to a server, Termul shows Verify this server and the server's key fingerprint. The fingerprint is a short code that identifies the server. It lets you check that you reached the right machine.

1. Compare the fingerprint with the one your server's administrator gave you. Click the copy button to copy the fingerprint.
2. If they match, click Trust and connect.
3. If they don't match, click Cancel.

Termul remembers the key, so it does not ask again for that server. Termul stores trusted keys in ~/.ssh/known_hosts_termul. It also accepts servers that are already in your ~/.ssh/known_hosts file. Termul never changes that file.

If the server's identity changed

If a server shows a different key than the one you trusted, Termul stops and shows Server identity changed. This happens when someone reinstalls the server. It can also mean that someone is intercepting your connection.

1. Ask the server's administrator whether the key changed, and get the new fingerprint.
2. Compare it with the New fingerprint on screen.
3. If they match, click Replace key and connect. Termul trusts the new key from now on.
4. If you are not sure, click Cancel. Termul sends no password or key to the server.

Sign in with a password

If the host has no saved password, Termul asks for it in the tab.

1. Type the password.
2. To save it in your system keychain, turn on Save in system keychain.
3. Click Connect.

If you don't save the password, Termul keeps it in memory while a session to that host is open. It uses it to reconnect and to browse files. If the server rejects the password, the tab says so and asks again.

A private key with a passphrase works the same way. The tab shows Unlock private key and asks for the passphrase.

Switch between sessions

Each session tab shows the host label and a status dot. A host with several sessions gets numbered tabs, for example web (1) and web (2). The host list also shows each host's state:

• Connecting while Termul connects.
• Needs input when the tab waits for you, for example to trust a key or type a password.
• Connected while the session runs.
• Disconnected after the session ends.
• Failed when the connection did not work.

Keyboard shortcuts in the SSH workspace:

When a tab has focus, the arrow keys move between tabs, and Delete closes the tab.

Close a session

Click the × on the session tab, or middle-click the tab. If the session is still connected, Termul asks first, because any command still running on the server stops. Click Close session to confirm.

Reconnect after a drop

If the network drops or the server stops answering, the tab shows Connection lost. The output stays on screen.

• Click Reconnect to open a new connection in the same tab.
• Click Close to close the tab.

When you type exit or the remote shell ends, the tab shows Session ended with the same two buttons.

If the connection fails

If Termul can't connect, the tab says what went wrong and what to do next. It shows these buttons:

• Try again connects again in the same tab.
• Edit host opens the host's settings, when the fix is there.
• Close tab closes the tab.

Click Technical details to see the exact error. For a list of errors and fixes, see Fix connection problems.