NexTerm

Open-source SSH connection manager for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Features

• Multi-tab SSH terminal with xterm.js
• SFTP file browser (upload, download with progress bar, rename, delete)
• Connection manager with folder grouping & drag-drop
• Password and SSH key authentication (PPK & PEM supported)
• Import/export connections as JSON
• .ini / .mxtsessions session import (PuTTY, MobaXterm)
• Local terminal (PowerShell / zsh / bash)
• Keyboard-interactive auth (password prompt in terminal)
• File date & size display in file browser
• Configurable font sizes (terminal & sidebar)
• Resizable panels (sidebar & file browser)
• Splash screen with animated logo
• Cross-platform: Windows, macOS, Linux
• Dark theme (Tokyo Night)

Requirements

• Node.js 18+ (LTS recommended)
• npm 9+
• Windows: No additional requirements
• macOS: Xcode Command Line Tools (xcode-select --install)
• Linux: build-essential, libsecret-1-dev, rpm (for AppImage)

Quick Start

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build and launch the app
npm start

Development

# Watch mode — Vite dev server + TypeScript watcher + Electron
npm run dev

# Build only (no launch)
npm run build

# Launch after build
npm start

Packaging (Desktop Installers)

Windows

npm run package:win

Output: release/win-unpacked/NexTerm.exe — portable, no installation needed. Double-click to run.

macOS

npm run package:mac

Output: release/ — DMG installer and ZIP archive.

Note: Build on a Mac for macOS packages. Code signing and notarization require an Apple Developer account for distribution.

Linux

npm run package:linux

Output: release/ — AppImage and tar.gz.

Note: Build on a Linux machine for Linux packages.

Current Platform (auto-detect)

npm run package

Creates an unpacked directory build for the OS you're running on.

Running on Each Platform

Windows

1. npm install → npm start (development)
2. Or run the packaged release/win-unpacked/NexTerm.exe
3. Local terminal uses PowerShell by default

macOS

1. npm install → npm start (development)
2. Or open the packaged .app from DMG
3. Uses native window frame with system traffic light buttons
4. Local terminal uses your default shell (zsh on macOS Catalina+)
5. Data stored in ~/Library/Application Support/NexTerm/
6. Logs stored in ~/Library/Application Support/NexTerm/logs/

Linux

1. npm install → npm start (development)
2. Or run the AppImage: chmod +x NexTerm-*.AppImage && ./NexTerm-*.AppImage
3. Uses native window frame
4. Local terminal uses your $SHELL or /bin/bash
5. Data stored in ~/.config/NexTerm/
6. Logs stored in ~/.config/NexTerm/logs/

Data & Configuration

All data is stored in the OS user data directory under NexTerm/:

Platform	Path
Windows	%APPDATA%\NexTerm\
macOS	~/Library/Application Support/NexTerm/
Linux	~/.config/NexTerm/

Files:

• connections.json — saved SSH connections
• settings.json — app settings (font size, default key, etc.)
• logs/nexterm.log — application log (5MB max, auto-rotated)

Import / Export Connections

• Export: Settings → Export → saves all connections as a .json file
• Import JSON: Settings → Import → select a previously exported .json
• Import Sessions: Settings → Import .ini/.mxtsessions (PuTTY, MobaXterm)

NPM Scripts Reference

Command	Description
npm start	Build + launch Electron
npm run dev	Development mode with hot-reload
npm run build	Compile TypeScript + bundle renderer
npm run package	Package for current platform
npm run package:win	Package for Windows (unpacked dir)
npm run package:mac	Package for macOS (DMG + ZIP)
npm run package:linux	Package for Linux (AppImage + tar.gz)

Tech Stack

Electron · React · TypeScript · xterm.js · ssh2 · Tailwind CSS · Vite · Lucide Icons

Troubleshooting

Windows: package:win fails with "Access is denied"

Windows Defender real-time scanning can block electron-builder's cache operations. Solutions:

1. Run the terminal as Administrator
2. Add %LOCALAPPDATA%\electron-builder\Cache to Defender exclusions

macOS: App is damaged / can't be opened

For unsigned builds: xattr -cr /path/to/NexTerm.app

Linux: AppImage won't launch

Make it executable: chmod +x NexTerm-*.AppImage

Terminal font looks wrong

Install a Nerd Font or one of: JetBrains Mono, Cascadia Code, Fira Code

License

MIT