Help

Getting started

Adding a server

1. On the Servers tab, tap the add button.
2. Enter the host (an IP address or hostname), the port (22 unless you have changed it), and your username.
3. Choose how to authenticate: a password, or an Ed25519 private key.
4. Tap to connect. On the first connection you will be asked to verify the server's host key (see below).
5. Once verified, the server appears in your list and metrics begin loading.

Authentication

SSHush supports two methods:

• Password. Your account password on the server.
• Ed25519 key. Paste your private key. If it is passphrase-protected, enter the passphrase as well.

Only Ed25519 keys are supported. RSA, ECDSA, and DSA keys are not. If your key is one of those types, you can generate an Ed25519 key with ssh-keygen -t ed25519 and add its public half to your server's ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.

Your credentials are stored in your iCloud Keychain, encrypted by Apple. They are never sent anywhere except to your own server when connecting.

Verifying the host key

The first time you connect, SSHush shows the server's host key fingerprint in SHA256: format. This is how you confirm you are talking to the right machine. Accept it to continue, and SSHush remembers it.

If the fingerprint ever changes on a later connection, SSHush warns you and will not connect silently. That can mean the server was rebuilt or its key was rotated, but it can also mean something is intercepting the connection. Only accept a changed key if you know why it changed.

What SSHush monitors

SSHush reads standard files and command output from your server, such as /proc/stat, /proc/meminfo, and df. It shows:

• CPU usage overall and per core, plus temperature where the host has a sensor
• Memory actually in use, excluding page cache, so it matches what htop shows
• Disk usage for each mounted filesystem
• Network throughput for each interface
• Disk I/O
• Load and uptime
• Processes currently running
• Latency, the round-trip time measured from your device to the server

Why is there no temperature reading?

Temperature only appears when the host exposes a thermal sensor. Many virtual private servers do not, so on those hosts the temperature is simply left out.

The terminal

The Terminal tab gives you a full interactive SSH shell to any of your servers. It uses the same credentials and the same verified host key as monitoring, so there is nothing extra to set up. It supports full xterm-256color emulation, so editors and tools like nano, vim, and htop work as expected.

Swipe down to dismiss the keyboard. Rotate the device or resize the window to reflow the terminal.

Monitoring while the app is open

SSHush monitors your servers only while the app is open and in the foreground. When you leave the app, it stops polling. SSHush does not run in the background and does not send notifications. It is a live dashboard and terminal you open when you want to check in.

Poll interval

You can set how often SSHush refreshes metrics from the Settings tab.

Networking

Local network permission

The first time SSHush needs to reach a server on your local network, iOS asks for permission to access devices on that network. This is required to connect to servers on your LAN by their local address. If you only ever connect to servers on the public internet or over a VPN, you may not see this prompt.

Changing networks

If your device switches network while you are watching a server, for example moving from Wi-Fi to cellular, SSHush detects the change and reconnects automatically. Stale readings stay on screen under a "Reconnecting" indicator until the fresh connection is established. If a server genuinely cannot be reached, the card shows it as offline and you can tap to retry.

Your servers and your data

Does SSHush change anything on my server?

No. SSHush is agentless. It never installs software, never adds keys, and never writes to your server for monitoring. It logs in with your credentials and runs standard read-only commands.

Removing a server

Removing a server from SSHush forgets it on your device and removes it from your iCloud-synced list. Because nothing was ever installed on the server, there is nothing to clean up there.

Syncing across devices

Your server list syncs across your Apple devices through your private iCloud account, and your credentials sync through iCloud Keychain. If iCloud is unavailable, SSHush still works and simply keeps your servers on the one device until iCloud is reachable again.

Troubleshooting

It will not connect.
Check that the host and port are correct and that the server is reachable from your device (try connecting over the same network from a computer). If you use a firewall, make sure your device's network can reach the SSH port. If you are away from home, you may need a VPN into your network.

My key is rejected.
Confirm the key is an Ed25519 key and that its public half is in the server's ~/.ssh/authorized_keys. If the key has a passphrase, make sure you entered it.

The host key warning appeared.
This means the fingerprint changed since you last connected. If you rebuilt the server or rotated its key, that is expected. If you did not, do not accept it until you understand why it changed.

Which servers are supported?
SSHush monitors full Linux hosts. Containerised environments such as Docker and LXC are not supported.

Contact

Questions, ideas, and bug reports are welcome. Please use the 'Contact' link in the footer.