putty

A fast, minimal SSH host selector TUI for Windows (and others), written in Rust.

Easily browse and edit your ~/.ssh/config file using arrow keys. Select a host to immediately open an SSH session — no need to remember hostnames or flags.

Features

• Terminal-based UI with keyboard navigation
• Reads your existing ~/.ssh/config file
• Supports editing host entries
• Optional # Password lines (not used for auth)
• Windows-compatible, with permission fixing (icacls) for key files

Install

cargo install putty

Usage

putty

• Navigate with ↑ / ↓
• Press Enter to connect to the selected host
• Press e to edit a host entry
• Press k to fix keyfile permissions (Windows only)
• Press q to quit

About the Name

This project is inspired by, but entirely separate from, the original PuTTY SSH client. That project is great, but quite old — and nowadays most users connect via VS Code, Windows Terminal, or tools like Kitty. This crate offers a lightweight, memorable alternative using a clean terminal UI.

Notes

• The app does not send passwords; # Password lines are purely for display or scripting.
• SSH keys must be in proper format (.pem or OpenSSH, not .ppk).
• Ensure your ~/.ssh/config is writable.

License

MIT