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## About
**Color SSH** (`cossh`) is a Rust-based wrapper for SSH and managed RDP launches that enhances your terminal experience with real-time syntax highlighting, shared vault access, and session logging. Built for network engineers, system administrators, and anyone who works with remote systems every day.
## Features
- Session manager TUI
- YAML inventory for SSH and RDP hosts
- Syntax highlighting
- Session logging
- Configuration hot reload
- Multiple profile support
- Configurable rules using regex matching
- Shared password vault
- RDP launch support via `xfreerdp3` or `xfreerdp`
## Installation
`color-ssh` supports Linux and macOS. Windows users should run it through WSL.
#### Requirement
- `ssh`
- `xfreerdp3` or `xfreerdp` (Optional)
### Pre-built Binaries (Recommended)
Download the latest release from [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/karsyboy/color-ssh/releases/).
### Cargo
```bash
cargo install color-ssh
```
### From Source
```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/karsyboy/color-ssh.git
cd color-ssh
# Build the release binary
cargo build --release
```
## Usage
```bash
Usage: cossh [OPTIONS] [COMMAND]
Commands:
ssh Launch an SSH session by forwarding arguments to the SSH command
rdp Launch an RDP session using xfreerdp3 or xfreerdp
vault Manage the password vault
help Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)
Options:
-d, --debug... Enable debug logging to ~/.color-ssh/logs/cossh.log; repeat (-dd) for raw terminal and argument tracing
-l, --log Enable SSH session logging to ~/.color-ssh/logs/ssh_sessions/
-P, --profile <profile> Specify a configuration profile to use
-t, --test Ignore config logging settings; only use CLI -d/-l logging flags
--pass-entry <name> Override the password vault entry used for a direct protocol launch
--migrate Migrate ~/.ssh/config host entries into ~/.color-ssh/cossh-inventory.yaml
-h, --help Print help
-V, --version Print version
cossh # Launch interactive session manager
cossh -d ssh user@example.com # Safe debug enabled
cossh --pass-entry office_fw <ssh/rdp> host.example.com # Override the password entry for this launch
cossh -l ssh user@example.com # SSH logging enabled
cossh -l -P network ssh user@firewall.example.com # Use 'network' config profile
cossh -l ssh user@host -p 2222 # Both modes with SSH args
cossh ssh user@host -G # Non-interactive command
cossh rdp desktop01 # Launch a configured RDP host
cossh --migrate # Import ~/.ssh/config into the YAML inventory
```
## Configuration
#### Runtime Config
Configuration files are looked for in the following order:
1. **Color SSH config directory**: `~/.color-ssh/[profile].cossh-config.yaml`
2. **Home directory**: `~/[profile].cossh-config.yaml`
3. **Current directory**: `./[profile].cossh-config.yaml`
If no configuration file is found the default configuration will be created at `~/.color-ssh/cossh-config.yaml`.
#### Host Inventory
`color-ssh` loads SSH and RDP hosts from `~/.color-ssh/cossh-inventory.yaml`.
#### Common inventory fields:
| `name` | Alias shown in the TUI and used for direct launches like `cossh ssh <name>`. |
| `protocol` | Protocol to launch, such as `ssh` or `rdp`. |
| `host` | Actual destination hostname or IP address. |
| `description` | Text shown in the TUI info/details view. |
| `profile` | Uses the matching `cossh` runtime profile when opening the host. |
| `vault_pass` | Optional password vault entry used for password auto-login.|
| `hidden` | Hides the host from the interactive host list and search results. |
| `identity_file`, `proxy_jump`, `proxy_command`, `forward_agent`, `local_forward`, `remote_forward`, `ssh_options` | SSH-specific connection settings. |
| `rdp_domain`, `rdp_args` | RDP-specific connection settings. |
#### Migrate from `~/.ssh/config`
Use this once to import your existing OpenSSH host entries into the YAML inventory:
```bash
cossh --migrate
```
## Documentation
The full user wiki lives in [here](https://github.com/karsyboy/color-ssh/wiki).
### Shell Completion
Shell completion scripts are included for `fish` and `zsh`. For instructions see the [Shell Completion README](shell-completion/README.md).
## Uninstall
### Cargo
```bash
cargo uninstall color-ssh
```
### Homebrew
```bash
brew uninstall color-ssh
```
### Linux/macOS (Manual)
```bash
# 1. Remove the main binary
rm ~/.cargo/bin/cossh
# 2. Remove the updater binary
rm -f ~/.cargo/bin/color-ssh-update
# 3. (Optional) Remove configuration and logs
rm -rf ~/.color-ssh/
# 4. Remove the installation receipt
rm -rf ~/.config/color-ssh/
```
### Shell Completion Cleanup
For instructions see the [Shell Completion README](shell-completion/README.md).
## Support
If you need help, have an issue, or want to request a feature, open an [issue](https://github.com/karsyboy/color-ssh/issues/new).
## Special Thanks
Thanks to the following projects for the inspiration behind Color SSH.
- [Chromaterm](https://github.com/hSaria/ChromaTerm)
- [netcli-highlight](https://github.com/danielmacuare/netcli-highlight)
Also thank you to [Alacritty](https://github.com/alacritty/alacritty) for the terminal crate used to render the terminal in the TUI.
## AI Usage Note
This project has used AI-assisted tooling for parts of development and documentation.
All AI-assisted changes are reviewed, edited, and validated by a human maintainer before they are merged.
Tools used are:
- @codex
- @copilot