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Isolated Mode

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Mehdi edited this page Sep 2, 2026 · 2 revisions

Isolated Mode

Isolated Mode is an alternative operation mode that keeps SSH Pilot's configuration completely separate from your regular SSH setup.

Default Mode vs. Isolated Mode

Default Mode Isolated Mode
SSH config Reads and writes ~/.ssh/config Uses its own config file
Known hosts Uses ~/.ssh/known_hosts Uses its own known_hosts file (Known Hosts)
SSH keys Uses your existing keys in ~/.ssh/ Has its own key directory
Connections Built from ~/.ssh/config hosts Independent connection list
Groups & colors Stored alongside SSH config Stored separately
Passwords Stored in your credential manager Same credential manager (shared)
Host keys Shared with your terminal SSH Independent host keys

When to Use Isolated Mode

  • Testing -- You want to try SSH Pilot without it modifying your real ~/.ssh/config
  • Separate server sets -- You manage different servers in SSH Pilot vs. the command line
  • Shared machine -- You don't want SSH Pilot's connections visible to other users on the system
  • Clean slate -- You want a fresh start without inheriting existing SSH config entries

How to Enable Isolated Mode

  1. Open Settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,)
  2. Go to Advanced
  3. Under Operation Mode, select Isolated Mode
  4. SSH Pilot will restart with the new mode

You can expand each mode row to see the exact file paths it uses.

What Is Isolated

In Isolated Mode, SSH Pilot owns these files exclusively:

File Purpose
SSH config Your saved connections and SSH options
Known hosts Host key fingerprints for servers you connect to
Connection list Nicknames, groups, colors, and ordering
SSH keys Keys generated or imported within SSH Pilot

Your ~/.ssh/config is never touched. Your terminal SSH works exactly as before.

What Is Shared

Passwords and passphrases are stored in your chosen credential manager (libsecret, KeePass, Bitwarden, etc.). Both modes use the same credential backend, so passwords saved in one mode are available in the other.

Switching Back to Default Mode

  1. Open Settings
  2. Go to Advanced
  3. Under Operation Mode, select Default Mode
  4. SSH Pilot will restart and reconnect to your ~/.ssh/config

Your Isolated Mode data is preserved -- you can switch back and forth at any time.

Custom SSH Directory

You can also use the SSHPILOT_SSH_DIR environment variable to point SSH Pilot at a custom directory. This is useful for development or testing:

SSHPILOT_SSH_DIR=~/sshpilot-demo sshpilot

This takes precedence over both Default and Isolated Mode paths.

Next Steps

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