TerCTL: an open-source SSH client and terminal

At a glance

version: 1.2
licence: MIT
platforms: macOS, Windows, Linux
built with: Tauri 2, Rust, React 19
ssh: russh, running in Rust
secrets: In your OS keychain
telemetry: None
updates: Signed, from GitHub releases

Why a desktop app and not another tab

If you look after more than a handful of servers, the usual setup is a terminal, a separate SFTP client, a text file of hostnames and a monitoring tab somewhere. TerCTL puts all of that in one window and lets you drive it from the keyboard.

It is a real desktop app, not a browser wrapper. SSH, terminals, SFTP and keychain access all run in Rust, and the React side never opens a socket. Your hosts sit in a local SQLite file and your secrets in the OS keychain, so nothing about your servers leaves your machine.

features /

What it does

Real terminals

Proper PTY sessions over SSH, rendered with xterm.js, with colour schemes per host and search through the scrollback with case and regex toggles.

Decks

Split a tab into panes. Drag a pane to split it again, drag a divider to resize, and every session stays live while you do.

Hosts, organised

Nested groups and tags, with one search across labels, hostnames, users and tags. Local shells open alongside the remote ones.

Edit files on the server

Open a remote directory with a file tree, tabs, syntax highlighting for 30+ languages and a shell underneath. Nothing gets installed on the host.

Saves that do not clobber

Writes go through a temp file and an atomic rename, keep the file's mode, and refuse to overwrite a file that changed since you opened it.

SFTP in two panes

Local on one side, remote on the other: upload, download, rename, create folders and show hidden files.

Live server metrics

CPU and cores, load average, memory, disk, network throughput, uptime and top processes, right next to the terminal.

Your setup, portable

Export hosts and settings to one file sealed with Argon2id and XChaCha20-Poly1305, and import it on the next machine.

screenshots /

Have a look inside

Real captures from the desktop app.

TerCTL host list showing saved servers grouped and tagged — **Hosts.** Saved servers in groups, with tags and search.

TerCTL editor with a remote file tree, an open shell script and an integrated terminal — **Editor.** A remote file tree, an open shell script and a terminal underneath.

TerCTL dual-pane SFTP transfer view with local and remote file listings — **File transfer.** Local and remote listings side by side, over SFTP.

TerCTL settings screen showing encrypted import and export of connections — **Import and export.** Your whole setup as one encrypted file, ready for the next machine.

build /

Run it from source

Installers for all three platforms are on terctl.dev. To build it yourself:

Install the prerequisites
Node 22, stable Rust from rustup.rs, and the Tauri prerequisites for your operating system.
02
Run the app
Start it in development mode. On Linux, if the window fails to open, try npm run tauri:dev instead.
```
npm install
npm run tauri dev
```
03
Build an installer
The installer lands in src-tauri/target/release/bundle/.
```
npm run tauri build
```

faq /

Questions about TerCTL

Where do I download TerCTL?

From terctl.dev, for macOS, Windows and Linux. Installed copies update themselves with signed releases from GitHub.

Where are my passwords and keys stored?

In the macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager or the Secret Service on Linux. Hosts, groups and known-host fingerprints sit in a local SQLite file, and secrets never go in it.

Does TerCTL collect any data?

No. There are no accounts and no telemetry.

Can I contribute?

Yes. The code is on GitHub under the MIT license. CONTRIBUTING.md covers setup and conventions, and issues and pull requests are welcome.

related /

TerCTL: your servers, one keystroke away.

At a glance

Why a desktop app and not another tab