🚀 Terminator SSH Manager — A Beautiful SSH Connection Plugin for Terminator

Daniel Duc — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:04:12 +0000

Manage all your SSH servers with one click, right inside Terminator.
A clean, privacy-friendly, and fully offline SSH manager for Linux power users.

If you’re a Linux user who lives inside the Terminator terminal emulator, you already know how powerful it is.

Split panes, tabs, layouts — Terminator has it all.

But what about managing SSH connections?

Typing SSH commands manually or juggling dozens of server configs quickly becomes painful.

That’s why I built Terminator SSH Manager — a simple, native plugin that brings SSH connection management directly into your terminal. ⚡

🧩 What Is Terminator SSH Manager?

Terminator SSH Manager is a lightweight plugin written in Python + GTK3 that lets you save, organize, and connect to your SSH servers — without leaving Terminator.

It blends seamlessly with the Adwaita GTK theme, so it looks and feels like a natural part of your terminal.

✨ Features

🔐 Multiple Authentication Options — SSH key or password
📋 Server Management — Add, edit, delete, or search your servers
⚡ Quick Connect — One-click SSH connection
🎨 Native GTK UI — Matches your Linux desktop beautifully
💾 Local Storage — Data saved in JSON under ~/.config/terminator
🔒 Privacy First — No telemetry, tracking, or cloud sync

🔒 Privacy & Security

Your data never leaves your machine.

✅ Stored locally at:

~/.config/terminator/ssh_servers.json

✅ No network requests
✅ No telemetry or analytics
✅ Fully open source

⚙️ Installation

🧰 Prerequisites

Make sure you have:

Terminator installed
Python 3.6+
GTK 3.0 (usually pre-installed on Linux)

🚀 Quick Install

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/binhduc1211/terminator-ssh-manager.git

Create Terminator plugins folder (if not exists)

mkdir -p ~/.config/terminator/plugins

Copy plugin files

cp terminator-ssh-manager/ssh_manager.py ~/.config/terminator/plugins/
cp -r terminator-ssh-manager/ssh_manager_lib ~/.config/terminator/plugins/

Then:

Open Terminator → Preferences → Plugins
Check ✓ SSHManager
Click Close
Restart Terminator

🖥️ Usage

Open the Manager

Right-click inside Terminator → SSH Manager

Add a Server

Click Add Server
Fill in:
- Name, Host, Port, User
- Auth Type: SSH Key or Password
- Description (optional)
Click OK

Connect

Click Connect to instantly open a new SSH session.

Manage

Easily Edit or Delete existing servers.

🧠 Why Use It?

Unlike external SSH clients or GUI tools, Terminator SSH Manager:

Works inside your favorite terminal
Keeps your workflow fast and minimal
Integrates perfectly with Terminator layouts and panes

For developers, sysadmins, or anyone who frequently connects to remote machines, this plugin is a total time-saver.

📜 License & Source

This project is open source under the MIT License.
👉 View on GitHub →

❤️ About the Author

Created by Duc Nguyen, a Linux enthusiast who loves building small, practical tools for the developer community.

“I built this plugin because I was tired of typing SSH commands all day.
Now I can connect to any server in just two clicks — without leaving my terminal.”

⭐ Support the Project

If you like it, please star the repository ❤️
https://github.com/binhduc1211/terminator-ssh-manager

It really helps more Linux users discover it!

🧾 TL;DR

Feature	Description
🔌 Plugin Type	Terminator Plugin
🧰 Language	Python 3 + GTK3
💾 Storage	Local JSON file
🔒 Privacy	100% offline
🧑‍💻 Auth Methods	SSH Key / Password
⚡ Connect	One-click
🎨 UI Theme	Adwaita native

Terminator SSH Manager —
Your favorite terminal, now smarter than ever.

DEV Community: Daniel Duc