Repolode
Submit
t8y2

t8y2/motty

A native Go desktop SSH client that puts terminal, SFTP, port forwarding, VNC/RDP and an AI assistant in one window, without a webview.

Open-source alternative to:TermiusXshellSecureCRT

View on GitHubWebsite
Stars
695
Forks
78
Open issues
62
Last commit
18 hours ago

What is it?

Motty is a desktop SSH workspace for developers and system administrators who manage remote servers. It combines a terminal, a file browser with SFTP and SCP, local, remote and SOCKS5/HTTP forwarding rules, and VNC or RDP remote desktop sessions in one native window. It is built in Go on the Viva UI framework, so it ships without an Electron runtime or embedded browser.

Host keys are verified against Motty's own known_hosts before credentials are sent. Authentication supports agent keys, identity files, OpenSSH certificates, PuTTY .ppk files, passwords and keyboard-interactive prompts. Saved secrets are kept in an AES-256-GCM vault, and hosts can be imported from OpenSSH config, PuTTY, Xshell, MobaXterm and several other clients.

An assistant works in Ask mode with the visible terminal as context, or in Agent mode where it can run commands behind a risk classification and approval gate. Secrets are redacted before terminal text reaches a model. An optional MCP server exposes the same tools to external agents, and backups can be synced through WebDAV, S3-compatible storage or a GitHub Gist.

Key features

  • 01Terminal sessions with tabs, splits, scrollback search and multiple colour schemes.
  • 02SFTP file browsing with resumable transfers, a built-in editor and an SCP fallback.
  • 03Local, remote, SOCKS5 and HTTP CONNECT port forwarding with jump-host chains.
  • 04VNC and RDP remote desktop connections, optionally tunnelled through SSH.
  • 05AI assistant with Ask and Agent modes, approval gate and secret redaction.
  • 06Encrypted vault for passwords and keys, with backup and sync via WebDAV, S3 or GitHub Gist.

Use cases

  • Managing several Linux servers from one desktop window without switching apps.
  • Editing remote files over SFTP and opening them in VS Code or Zed.
  • Reaching internal databases or web services through SSH port forwarding.
  • Connecting to Windows machines or VNC desktops from the same workspace as the terminal.

Things to know

  • Some remote-desktop protocol features have documented gaps, listed in docs/remote-desktop.md.

In collections

CLI & terminal toolsOpen-source personal AI agents

Topics

#ssh#sftp#terminal#port-forwarding#remote-desktop#vnc#rdp#golang#ai-assistant#personal-agent

FAQ

What is motty?
A native Go desktop SSH client that puts terminal, SFTP, port forwarding, VNC/RDP and an AI assistant in one window, without a webview. Motty is a desktop SSH workspace for developers and system administrators who manage remote servers. It combines a terminal, a file browser with SFTP and SCP, local, remote and SOCKS5/HTTP forwarding rules, and VNC or RDP remote desktop sessions in one native window. It is built in Go on the Viva UI framework, so it ships without an Electron runtime or embedded browser.
Is motty free to use? What license does it have?
motty is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is motty still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to motty was on Nov 6, 2026.
What can I use motty for?
Managing several Linux servers from one desktop window without switching apps. Editing remote files over SFTP and opening them in VS Code or Zed. Reaching internal databases or web services through SSH port forwarding. Connecting to Windows machines or VNC desktops from the same workspace as the terminal.
Where can I get motty?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/t8y2/motty

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

Related projects