RemoteSSH has two code bases that share one feature set and one site file format:
Features
- Connect: type an address such as
sftp://user@host:port/path and press Connect, or save servers in the Site Manager with folders, logon types (anonymous, normal, ask for password, key file) and default folders. Saved sites are listed in a sidebar: one click connects, and the connected site is marked.
- Secure storage: saved passwords go into the system keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows DPAPI, or the Secret Service/KWallet on Linux). If no keyring is available, RemoteSSH asks for the password instead of saving it in plain text.
- SFTP: password or key-file login with Ed25519 and RSA keys (rsa-sha2-256/512), including passphrase-protected keys. Host keys are checked against SHA-256 fingerprints, and you are warned if a key changes.
- FTP/FTPS: explicit or implicit TLS. Before any password is sent, you are asked about certificates that can't be verified.
- Browsing: local and remote panes side by side, with sortable columns, a filter, file-type icons, hidden files, directory comparison, synchronized browsing, and drag & drop between panes and from your file manager.
- Workspace: the same layout on every platform. The activity log, the transfer queue and the terminal share one resizable panel below the panes, with a tab for each; it can be collapsed or, for the terminal, maximized.
- File operations: create, rename, delete (recursively), change permissions, and View/Edit (open a remote file locally and upload it again when you save).
- SSH terminal: for SFTP sites, the Terminal tab opens a shell on the server, on its own connection, in the folder you're viewing. Open it with Ctrl+` (all platforms), the toolbar, or Open Terminal Here on a remote folder. On Windows and Linux, copy and paste are Ctrl+Shift+C / Ctrl+Shift+V.
- Transfer queue: parallel transfers, queued/failed/done tabs, automatic retries, resume, a choice of what to do when a file already exists, and speed limits. The queue is kept across restarts.
- Appearance: light, dark, or follow the system, chosen in Settings.
- Automatic updates: checks GitHub for a new release at startup (or Check for Updates… in the menu), then downloads, installs and relaunches. The Windows portable
.exe and Linux .tar.gz builds only open the download page.
- Import/export:
File → Export Sites… writes a .remotessh file and File → Import from RemoteSSH… reads one. The same file works on every platform. Passwords are only included if you choose to.
Download
Every release has the packages for all platforms:
- Windows:
RemoteSSH-x.y.z-win-x64.exe (installer), -win-arm64.exe, or RemoteSSH-x.y.z-portable.exe.
- Linux:
.AppImage, .deb (Debian/Ubuntu) or .tar.gz, for x64 and arm64.
- macOS:
RemoteSSH-x.y.z-macos.zip.
The macOS app is signed with a Developer ID and notarized by Apple, so it opens without a warning. The Windows builds are not code-signed: SmartScreen shows a warning the first time, so click More info → Run anyway.
Build from source
Windows and Linux (electron/)
You need Node.js 22 or later. The shared Electron app lives in electron/; windows/ and linux/ hold each platform's packaging settings (electron-builder.json) and receive its packages in dist/.
cd electron
npm ci
npm start # build and run
npm test # unit tests
npm run test:live # + live FTP/FTPS/SFTP tests (Linux/macOS: needs sshd, python3, openssl)
npm run dist:linux # → ../linux/dist/*.AppImage, *.deb, *.tar.gz
npm run dist:win # → ../windows/dist/*.exe (works from Windows, macOS or Linux)
macOS (macos/)
You need macOS 15 or later with Xcode 16 or later. The Command Line Tools alone are not enough, because the terminal view includes a Metal shader. With Xcode 26 or later, install the Metal Toolchain once: xcodebuild -downloadComponent MetalToolchain.
cd macos
./scripts/build-app.sh # → dist/RemoteSSH.app (ad-hoc signed)
./scripts/integration-test.sh # unit tests + live FTP/FTPES/SFTP tests against throwaway local servers
Where data is stored
| Sites, known hosts, queue, settings | Passwords |
|---|
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/RemoteSSH/ | Keychain (service RemoteSSH) |
| Windows | %APPDATA%\RemoteSSH\ | secrets.json, encrypted with DPAPI |
| Linux | ~/.config/RemoteSSH/ | secrets.json, encrypted using the Secret Service or KWallet |
License
MIT © Fahed Alhammadi
