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tzero86 edited this page May 2, 2026 · 1 revision

SSH / SFTP Remote Filesystems

Zeta lets you browse and operate on remote servers via SSH/SFTP directly from the file pane — no separate SFTP client needed.

Connecting

Open the SSH Connect dialog from:

  • Command palette (Shift+P) → "SSH Connect"
  • File menu → Connect to Remote

Fill in the host, port (default 22), username, and authentication method, then press Enter.

Authentication Methods

Zeta respects your explicit authentication choice in the dialog:

SSH Agent (Recommended)

Select Agent to use SSH_AUTH_SOCK. The dialog shows [Agent: Available] or [Agent: Not Available] so you know before connecting.

# Start SSH Agent (typically in ~/.bashrc or ~/.profile)
eval "$(ssh-agent)"
# Add your key
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa
# Verify the socket is set
echo $SSH_AUTH_SOCK

Benefits:

  • Keys never leave the agent process
  • No re-entering passwords for multiple connections
  • Passphrases cached for the session

Password

Select Password and enter your credentials. SSH Agent is skipped entirely.

Key File

Select Key File and provide the path to your private key. SSH Agent is skipped entirely.

Permissions: SSH key files must be readable only by you:

chmod 700 ~/.ssh
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Host Key Verification

On the first connection to a host, Zeta shows a trust prompt with both fingerprints:

  • SHA256 (preferred, modern): SHA256: prefix followed by base64-encoded hash
  • MD5 (legacy, for compatibility): hex colon-separated hash

Verification workflow:

  1. Compare the displayed fingerprints with those from your server admin (out-of-band)
  2. Press Enter / Y to trust the host
  3. The key is written to ~/.ssh/known_hosts for future connections
  4. If the key changes on a future connection, Zeta shows a red security warning and refuses to connect

Verify fingerprints manually:

# SHA256
ssh-keyscan -H example.com 2>/dev/null | ssh-keygen -lf - -E SHA256

# MD5 (legacy)
ssh-keyscan -H example.com 2>/dev/null | ssh-keygen -lf - -E MD5

Remote File Operations

Once connected, the active pane shows the remote filesystem. All standard file operations work transparently on the remote:

  • Browse, copy, move, rename, delete files and directories
  • Copy files between local and remote (cross-filesystem copy)
  • The opposite pane can be local or another remote connection

Troubleshooting

Issue Likely cause Solution
"SSH Agent not available" Agent not running or SSH_AUTH_SOCK not set Run eval "$(ssh-agent)" and ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa
"No matching identity in SSH Agent" Agent is running but your key isn't loaded Run ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa
"Authentication failed" Wrong password, wrong key, or bad permissions Test with ssh user@host in your terminal first
"Host key changed" (red error) Key mismatch — possible security issue Run ssh-keygen -R host.example.com, then reconnect and re-verify
"Connection timeout" Host unreachable Check with ping or ssh from terminal
"Host key not recognized" New host, needs manual verification Verify fingerprints with server admin, then press Enter
"Permission denied" (key file) Key file permissions too broad Run chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Requirements

  • OpenSSH client installed (standard on Linux/macOS; download from openssh.com for Windows)
  • ~/.ssh/known_hosts file (created automatically after first ssh connection on any host)
  • Authentication credentials: password, key file, or SSH Agent

See also: File Management · Key Bindings · Configuration

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