From install to your first server

About five minutes.

Install

01

Download and drag into Applications

Pick the installer that matches your Mac’s chip.

02

Open it

Just double-click.

Connect to your first machine

01

Add a connection

Go to Connections, click "New connection", and fill in a name, address, username and port.

Have an ssh command on your clipboard? Use "Parse SSH command from clipboard" to fill it all in.

02

Choose how to log in

A password or a key. Save it to the credential vault to share it across machines and rotate it in one place — or use it just this once.

03

Connect

Saving connects straight away, or pick it later from "New session" in the sidebar.

Once connected, more tabs, the file panel and the load view never ask for the password again.

Internal machines through a jump host

Save the jump host as an ordinary connection first.

Edit the target machine and pick it under "Connect through jump host". If the target has an internal address, put it in "Internal address".

Through a bastion (JumpServer)

Open Settings → Bastion and fill in the JumpServer address, username and password. If the account uses two-factor auth, put the authenticator-app secret (or the whole otpauth:// link) under "2FA secret", then save.

Open Connections: the machines assigned to you sync in and open with a click. Every connection fetches fresh login details, so there is nothing to copy from the web page.

The password is kept in the macOS Keychain. The first time it is needed, macOS asks for your Mac password — choose "Always Allow". To avoid the prompt, switch "Storage" to "Local encrypted file".

If your company signs in by QR code / SSO, or sends 2FA codes by SMS or e-mail, account sign-in will not work: turn on "Allow pasting bastion details" on the same page, then choose "Paste bastion details" in "New session" and paste the whole block copied from JumpServer.

Handy shortcuts

  • ⌘L — New local terminal
  • ⌘T — New session (local terminal or a saved connection)
  • ⌘J — Session switcher — type to search by name or IP
  • ⌘E — Rename the current session
  • ⌘W — Close the current tab
  • ⌘, — Settings (every shortcut can be changed here)

Next

To let local scripts or an AI assistant run commands on these servers, see the Local API.

Trouble installing or opening it, or wondering where passwords are kept? See the FAQ.