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For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.

Connecting to a server

This page covers the different ways to connect to a server in Termius, including SSH, Mosh, Telnet, Serial, SFTP, and the Local Terminal.

Termius provides users with a variety of options to connect to servers. It includes a built-in Local terminal and supports SSH, Mosh, Telnet, Serial, and SFTP.

SSH with a password

To connect using a password on the desktop:

  1. Open the Vault tab, then Hosts screen

  2. Click New Host

  3. Enter the IP address, port, username, and password. Termius auto-saves your host

  4. Click Connect

To connect using a password on mobile:

  1. Tap the + button on the Hosts screen, then tap New Host

  2. Enter the IP address, port, username, and password

  3. Tap Save

  4. Tap your host to Connect

SSH with an SSH key

To connect to a server using an SSH key on the desktop:

  1. Open the Vault tab, then Hosts screen

  2. Click New Host

  3. Enter the IP address, port, and username

  4. Click + SSH ID, Key, Certificate, FIDO2 section and choose Key

  5. Enter the key name/label

  6. Import or paste your private key, then click Save. Termius auto-saves your host

  7. Click Connect

To connect to a server using an SSH key on mobile:

  1. Tap the + button on the hosts screen and then tap New Host

  2. Enter the IP address, port, and username

  3. Tap SSH ID, Key, Certificate, FIDO2 in credential section

  4. Choose a key

  5. Tap Save

  6. Tap your host to Connect

See Keychain to explore all Termius Keychain capabilities.

SSH agent forwarding

SSH Agent Forwarding allows you to securely use your local SSH keys on remote servers or intermediate jump hosts without needing to store your private keys on those remote machines.

This allows you to use the ssh -A command and the host's private key, or any other key in the agent, for authenticating on a more distant server.

Termius uses its own built-in SSH agent (not the OS agent). It keeps the connection experience consistent across all platforms where Termius is supported.

To enable SSH agent forwarding on the desktop:

  1. Open the Host details, scroll to the Credential section and click Show more

  2. Click Agent Forwarding, then select Enabled

  3. Once connected, the key used for authentication is added to the SSH agent in Termius

To enable SSH agent forwarding on mobile:

  1. Open the Host details, scroll to the Credential section and turn on SSH Agent Forwarding

  2. Once connected, the key used for authentication is added to the SSH agent in Termius

Connect through jump hosts

Jump hosts provide secure access to a target machine that is not directly reachable. Termius makes it easy to configure multiple jump hosts in a sequence called a host chain. This lets you connect to the target machine in one click, automatically hopping through the chain of your hosts. To set up a host chain, follow the steps below.

  1. Create a host or edit an existing one. This host is a target host

  2. In the Host details screen, scroll down and click Show more

  3. Click Host Chaining field

  4. Select an intermediate host from the list or create a new one. You can select multiple intermediate hosts, reflecting your network configuration and use case

  5. Click Save. Then Termius auto-saves your host configuration

  6. Click Connect. Termius sets up SSH tunnels to the target host through all the chained hosts

  1. Create a host or edit an existing one. This host is a target host

  2. In the Edit Host screen, scroll down and tap Host Chaining

  3. Select a bastion host from the list (if you already created one) or create a new one. You can select multiple intermediate hosts, reflecting your network configuration and use case

  4. Tap Save

  5. Tap your Target host to connect. Termius sets up SSH tunnels to a Target host through all the chain hosts.

Pro tip: If you need the same host chain for multiple hosts, configure it on a group instead of setting it on each host.

Every host placed in this group inherits the host chaining settings from that group.

Connect through a proxy

Termius supports SSH connections through HTTP or SOCKS5 proxies.

To connect through a proxy on the desktop:

  1. Open the Vault tab, then Hosts screen

  2. Click New Host or edit an existing one

  3. In the Host details screen, scroll down, and click Show more if you don't see the extra options

  4. Click the Proxy field

  5. In the Type drop-down, select the proxy server protocol: SOCKS5 or HTTP

  6. Enter the hostname or address, port, and credentials of your proxy server

  7. Click Save. Then Termius auto-saves your host configuration

  8. Click Connect

To connect through a proxy on mobile:

  1. Create a host or edit an existing one

  2. In the Edit host screen, scroll down, and tap Proxy

  3. Choose the type of proxy server protocol: HTTP or SOCKS5

  4. Enter the hostname or address, port, and credentials of your proxy server

  5. Tap Save

  6. Then Save the host to apply the changes

  7. Tap your host to Connect

Mosh (Mobile Shell)

Mosh is a companion protocol to SSH that maintains sessions when TCP connections are interrupted. It employs a parallel UDP session to keep the session alive. That also enables Mosh to maintain its own terminal buffer that intelligently echoes your input, even if the server is slow or the network lags.

The enhancements provided by Mosh are really important for reliable mobile connectivity. If your device changes networks or loses connection, Mosh can keep your session alive until the connection is re-established.

The Mosh service is distinct from SSH and must be installed and configured separately on your host system. Once the service is up and running, you can use it on your hosts in Termius.

Termius uses its own library for Mosh compatibility. Mosh 1.3.0 and newer versions are supported.

To connect via Mosh on the desktop:

  1. Open the Vault tab, then the Hosts screen

  2. Click New Host or edit an existing one

  3. In the Host Details screen, scroll down, and click Show more if you don't see the extra options

  4. Enable Mosh

  5. If your Mosh server is running on non-default ports, specify it accordingly:

    1. Default command for starting the mosh session: mosh-server new -s -l LANG=en_US.UTF-8

    2. In case you need to specify the custom port range: mosh-server new -s -l LANG=en_US.UTF-8 -p [port from]:[port to]

  6. Termius auto-saves your host

  7. Click Connect

To connect via Mosh on mobile:

  1. Create a host or edit an existing one

  2. Enable the Use Mosh setting

  3. If your Mosh server is running on non-default ports, specify it accordingly:

    1. Default command for starting the mosh session: mosh-server new -s -l LANG=en_US.UTF-8

    2. In case you need to specify the custom port range: mosh-server new -s -l LANG=en_US.UTF-8 -p [port from]:[port to]

  4. Tap Save

  5. Tap your host to Connect

Telnet

  1. Open the Vault tab, then the Hosts screen

  2. Click New Host or edit an existing one

  3. In the Host details screen, scroll down and click + Add Telnet

  4. Enter the port, username, and password. Termius auto-saves your host

  5. Click Connect

  1. Create a host or edit an existing one

  2. In the Edit Host screen, scroll down, and toggle Telnet

  3. Enter the port, username, and password

  4. Tap Save

  5. Tap your host to Connect

Telnet transmits data in plaintext, so avoid using it for sensitive information.

Serial

Termius lets you connect to switches and routers over a serial port using a single cable: Redpark's USB-C Serial Cable (C4-RJ45V) or Redpark's Lightning Console Cable (L2RJ45V3).

Please note that serial connections may not work over USB hubs. Ensure to connect directly.

  1. Open the Vault tab, then the Hosts screen

  2. Click the Serial button, or use the hotkey Cmd+Option+S/CTRL+Alt+S

  3. Choose the serial port you want to connect to

  4. In the Advanced section set the required configuration: baud rate, data bits, stop bits, flow control, and parity

  5. Click Connect

If you experience issues with serial connections in Termius downloaded from the Microsoft Windows Store, install Termius from our website instead - Download Windows

  1. Open the Connections tab

  2. Search in the Search field or just scroll down to the bottom, and select Start a serial connection

  3. Enter the required configuration: baud rate, flow control, data bits, stop bits, and parity

  4. Tap Connect

Local Terminal

To open a local terminal:

  1. Open the Vault tab, then the Hosts screen

  2. Click the Terminal button or use the hotkey CTRL/Cmd+L

By default, the local terminal uses a shell specified in the system's settings. You can choose a different shell in settings:

  1. Open Termius > Settings > Terminal

  2. Scroll down to the Local Terminal Path section. Choose the preferred shell:

Termius from the Mac App Store and Snap Store do not include the Local Terminal feature due to sandbox limitations. Download Termius from the website for macOS, Windows, or Linux to use Local Terminal.

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