SSH Connection Manager

A secure desktop SSH connection manager application built with Electron, TypeScript, and React.

Version: 1.0.0 Author: Koteshwar Rao Myneni License: MIT

Features

• Secure Storage: Credentials stored in OS keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, Linux Secret Service)
• Multiple Authentication: Support for private keys, private keys with passphrase, and username/password
• Cross-Platform: Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux
• Local-Only: No cloud sync, all data stays on your machine
• Easy Connection Management: Add, edit, delete, and quickly connect to SSH servers
• External Terminal Integration: Opens SSH connections in your system's terminal application
• Professional UI: Custom cybersecurity-themed logo and polished interface
• Connection Tracking: Monitor active external terminal sessions
• Activity Logger: Real-time activity tracking with expandable log viewer

Security Features

• OS-level credential storage (no plain text passwords)
• Local-only operation (no network transmission of credentials)
• Encrypted storage for connection metadata
• No session logging or credential exposure

Installation

Quick Installation (Pre-built)

Download the latest release for your platform:

• macOS: SSH Connection Manager-1.0.0.dmg (Intel) or SSH Connection Manager-1.0.0-arm64.dmg (Apple Silicon)
• Windows: SSH Connection Manager-1.0.0-win.zip
• Linux: SSH Connection Manager-1.0.0-arm64.AppImage

Development Prerequisites

• Node.js v18.20.3 or later
• npm (comes with Node.js)
• Platform-specific build tools:
  • macOS: Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install)
  • Windows: Visual Studio Build Tools or Visual Studio Community
  • Linux: build-essential python3 git (Ubuntu/Debian)

Development Setup

1. Clone and install dependencies:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd ssh-connection-manager
   npm install

2. Rebuild native modules:

   npm run postinstall
   # or manually: npx electron-rebuild

3. Start development:

   npm run dev          # Development with hot reload
   # or
   npm start            # Start built application

Building for Distribution

All Platforms

npm run dist:all

Specific Platforms

npm run dist:mac     # macOS DMG and ZIP
npm run dist:win     # Windows ZIP
npm run dist:linux   # Linux AppImage

Output

All builds are created in the build/ directory:

build/
├── SSH Connection Manager-1.0.0.dmg              # macOS Intel (97MB)
├── SSH Connection Manager-1.0.0-arm64.dmg        # macOS Apple Silicon (92MB)
├── SSH Connection Manager-1.0.0-mac.zip          # macOS Intel portable (94MB)
├── SSH Connection Manager-1.0.0-arm64-mac.zip    # macOS Apple Silicon portable (89MB)
├── SSH Connection Manager-1.0.0-win.zip          # Windows portable (102MB)
└── SSH Connection Manager-1.0.0-arm64.AppImage   # Linux portable (102MB)

Usage

1. Add Connection: Click "New" to add a new SSH connection
2. Configure Authentication: Choose between private key or password authentication
3. Save Credentials: Passwords and passphrases are stored securely in your system keychain
4. Connect: Click "Connect" on any saved connection to launch SSH in an external terminal

How It Works

• External Terminal Integration: SSH connections open in your system's default terminal:
  • macOS: Terminal.app
  • Windows: Command Prompt
  • Linux: gnome-terminal (or default terminal)
• Connection Tracking: The app monitors active external terminal sessions
• Secure Credentials: Private keys and passwords are handled securely without exposure

Authentication Types

• Private Key: Use a private key file (PEM format)
• Private Key with Passphrase: Private key with additional passphrase protection
• Username & Password: Traditional username/password authentication

File Storage

• Connection profiles: ~/.ssh-manager/profiles.json
• Credentials: System keychain (never stored in plain text files)

Security Notes

• Never commit the .ssh-manager directory to version control
• Credentials are stored using your operating system's secure credential storage
• Private key files remain where you specify them (app stores path references only)
• No network communication except for SSH connections you initiate

Technology Stack

This application is built with:

• Electron 28.3.3 - Cross-platform desktop framework
• React 18.2.0 - User interface library
• TypeScript 5.3.0 - Type-safe JavaScript
• Webpack 5.89.0 - Module bundler
• keytar 7.9.0 - Secure credential storage
• node-pty 1.0.0 - Terminal/PTY functionality

Build Configuration

Native Modules

The application includes native modules that require platform-specific compilation:

• keytar: OS credential storage (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, Linux Secret Service)
• node-pty: Terminal functionality for external SSH connections

ASAR Unpacking

Native modules are automatically unpacked from the ASAR archive for proper functionality:

"asarUnpack": [
  "node_modules/node-pty/**/*",
  "node_modules/keytar/**/*"
]

Electron Builder Configuration

{
  "appId": "com.koteshwar.ssh-connection-manager",
  "productName": "SSH Connection Manager",
  "copyright": "Copyright © 2024 Koteshwar Rao Myneni",
  "mac": {
    "category": "public.app-category.developer-tools",
    "target": [
      { "target": "dmg", "arch": ["x64", "arm64"] },
      { "target": "zip", "arch": ["x64", "arm64"] }
    ]
  },
  "win": {
    "target": [{ "target": "zip", "arch": ["x64"] }]
  },
  "linux": {
    "target": "AppImage"
  }
}

Troubleshooting Build Issues

Native Module Rebuild

If you encounter native module errors:

# Clear and reinstall
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install
npm run postinstall

# Force rebuild specific modules
npx electron-rebuild --only=keytar
npx electron-rebuild --only=node-pty

Platform-Specific Issues

macOS

• Issue: "cannot find valid Developer ID Application identity"
• Solution: Normal for development builds without Apple Developer certificate

Windows

• Issue: Missing Visual Studio Build Tools
• Solution: Install Visual Studio Build Tools or Community Edition

Linux

• Issue: Missing dependencies
• Solution:

  sudo apt install libnss3-dev libatk-bridge2.0-dev libdrm2-dev libgtk-3-dev

Supported Platforms

| Platform | Architecture | Format | Size | Notes | |----------|-------------|---------|------|-------| | macOS | Intel x64 | DMG, ZIP | 94-97MB | macOS 10.15+ | | macOS | Apple Silicon (ARM64) | DMG, ZIP | 89-92MB | Native performance | | Windows | x64 | ZIP | 102MB | Windows 10+ | | Linux | ARM64 | AppImage | 102MB | Ubuntu 18.04+ or equivalent |

Architecture Support

• Universal macOS: Both Intel and Apple Silicon builds
• Windows x64: 64-bit Windows only (32-bit deprecated due to native module issues)
• Linux ARM64: Optimized for modern ARM-based Linux systems

Distribution Files

Download Sizes

• Smallest: macOS Apple Silicon ZIP (89MB)
• Largest: Windows/Linux portable (102MB each)
• Most Compatible: macOS DMG installers (92-97MB)

File Types

• DMG: macOS disk image installer (double-click to install)
• ZIP: Portable archives (extract and run directly)
• AppImage: Linux portable executable (chmod +x and run)

Development Status

✅ Feature Complete

• External terminal SSH connections
• Secure credential management
• Cross-platform native modules
• Professional UI with custom branding
• Connection tracking and management

✅ Production Ready

• All platforms built and tested
• Native modules properly bundled
• Code signing prepared (certificates required for distribution)
• Comprehensive documentation

Contributing

See BUILD.md for detailed build instructions and development setup.

Key Development Commands

npm run dev          # Development with hot reload
npm run build        # Create development build
npm run dist:all     # Build all platform distributions
npm run postinstall  # Rebuild native modules

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Copyright © 2024 Koteshwar Rao Myneni