Conduit

SSH Connections

Conduit provides full SSH terminal sessions with real-time rendering, multi-session tabs, and seamless credential management from the vault.

Authentication

Two authentication methods are supported:

  • Username & password — Enter credentials inline or select a saved credential from the vault.
  • SSH key — Select a private key file or let Conduit auto-detect local keys at ~/.ssh/id_rsa and ~/.ssh/id_ed25519. Passphrase-protected keys are supported.

Auth Method Selection

When a credential contains both an SSH key and a password, Conduit lets you choose which authentication method to use. A selector appears in the credential form and in the SSH entry's credentials tab whenever both methods are present.

Three options are available:

  • Default — Inherits the global SSH default from Settings.
  • SSH Key — Always authenticate with the SSH key, even if a password is also stored.
  • Password — Always authenticate with the password, even if an SSH key is also stored.

Conduit resolves the effective auth method using the following priority order:

  1. Per-entry or per-credential override (if set to SSH Key or Password)
  2. Global default from Settings → Sessions → SSH
  3. SSH Key (hardcoded fallback)

When does this matter?

If a credential only has a password or only has an SSH key, that method is used automatically and the selector does not appear. The auth method selector is only relevant when both authentication methods are present on the same credential.

Terminal

The terminal is powered by xterm.js with real-time rendering and full ANSI/VT escape code support. Features include:

  • Dynamic resize — columns and rows adjust automatically when the tab is resized.
  • Terminal buffer reading with configurable scrollback history.
  • Copy and paste via standard keyboard shortcuts.
  • Search within the terminal buffer.

Multi-Session

Open multiple SSH sessions simultaneously. Each session runs in its own tab with an independent terminal instance. Navigate between sessions with Cmd/Ctrl+Tab or click the tab bar.

Credential Storage

Store SSH credentials (username/password or private key) in the encrypted vault. Credentials can be linked directly to a connection entry so you connect with a single click, or kept as standalone vault entries that can be reused across multiple connections.

Open in External App

From the entry dashboard, click Open in External App to launch the SSH connection in your system's default SSH client (Terminal.app on macOS, or your configured default terminal on other platforms). This is useful when you need a standalone terminal window outside of Conduit.

MCP Integration

AI agents connected via the MCP server can interact with SSH sessions programmatically. Available capabilities include:

  • Execute commands and read their output.
  • Read the terminal buffer (with configurable line count).
  • Send keystrokes and control sequences.
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