Purple is a terminal-based SSH host manager that helps administrators work with large or frequently changing server inventories from a single text user interface.
Rather than storing hosts in a separate database, it reads and edits ~/.ssh/config directly while preserving existing formatting, comments, Include files, and other directives.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Offers keyboard-driven navigation with fuzzy search across host aliases, hostnames, users, IP addresses, and tags.
- Syncs server information from 16 cloud providers and stores provider metadata alongside SSH hosts.
- Includes a visual split-pane file transfer interface for browsing and copying files over SSH.
- Supports running commands and snippets across multiple hosts from one interface.
- Manages Docker and Podman containers on remote systems over SSH without requiring an agent.
- Preserves round-trip fidelity when updating SSH configuration files, including comments, indentation, unknown directives, and Include files.
- Cross-platform support – runs under Linux and macOS.
Website: github.com/erickochen/purple
Support:
Developer: Eric Kochen
License: MIT License
Purple is written in Rust. Learn Rust with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
Related Software
| Terminal-Based SSH Frontends | |
|---|---|
| LazySSH | Built for managing your fleet of servers directly from your terminal |
| trzsz-ssh | Drop-in replacement for openssh |
| SSHM | Modern, interactive SSH Manager for your terminal |
| Purple | Terminal-based SSH host manager |
| SKM | Simple and powerful SSH keys manager |
| GOTO | Simple SSH manager |
| TermiRs | Modern, async SSH terminal client built with Rust and Ratatui |
| SSHR | TUI SSH manager |
| SSH-List | SSH connection manager with a TUI interface |
| lssh | List-based ssh, scp, sftp client |
| Peroxide | Terminal-based SSH connection manager |
| Bayesian SSH | SSH session manager with Bayesian-ranked search, |
| sshup | Simple SSH manager with a text-user interface |
| SSH Manager TUI | SSH connection manager with a modern color interface |
| ssm | Connect, filter, tag, and much more from a simple terminal interface |
| sshmate | Simplify interactions with SSH servers |
| susshi | Modern, terminal-based SSH connection manager |
| sshtool | Simple interactive SSH session manager |
| ESSH | Terminal-native SSH client |
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