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Quick Start

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Mehdi edited this page Sep 2, 2026 · 8 revisions

Quick Start

This guide walks you through connecting to your first server in under a minute.

Step 1 -- Launch SSH Pilot

Open SSH Pilot from your application menu (Linux) or Applications folder (macOS).

You will see the main window with a sidebar on the left and a welcome page in the center.

Main window

Step 2 -- Discover Existing Servers

If you already have servers defined in your ~/.ssh/config file, they will appear automatically in the sidebar. No setup needed.

If your sidebar is empty, continue to Step 3 to add a new server.

Step 3 -- Add a New Connection

  1. Click the + button at the top of the sidebar (or press Ctrl+Shift+N / Cmd+N on macOS)
  2. A connection editor dialog will open
  3. Fill in the details:
    • Name: A friendly name for this server (e.g., "My Web Server")
    • Hostname: The server's IP address or domain (e.g., 192.168.1.100 or example.com)
    • Username: Your login name on the server (e.g., root or ubuntu)
  4. Configure authentication: choose your preferred authentication method
  5. Click Save (or press Ctrl+S / Cmd+S)

The new connection will appear in your sidebar.

Step 4 -- Connect

  1. Double-click the server in the sidebar, or select it and press Enter
  2. A new terminal tab will open in the main window
  3. If the server requires a password, SSH Pilot will show a secure dialog asking for it
  4. If you check "Save password", SSH Pilot will remember it for next time

You are now connected to your server.

Step 5 -- Try the Basics

Now that you are connected, try these common actions:

Open a new connection to the same server

  • Middle click the connection or select it and press Ctrl+Enter to force a new tab for the same server

Open the file manager

  • Hover mouse pointer over the connection until a folder icon appears. Click it or press Ctrl+Shift+O (Cmd+Shift+O on macOS) to open the SFTP file manager for the current connection

Open a local terminal

  • Click the terminal icon in the header, or press Ctrl+Shift+T (Cmd+Shift+T on macOS) to open a terminal on your own machine

Search your connections

  • Press Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on macOS) and type to filter the sidebar list. You can also press Shift twice to open Omni-search.

What's Next?

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