SSH File Explorer

A powerful VS Code extension for managing SSH connections and browsing remote files through an intuitive WebView interface.

Features

Connection Management

• Add SSH Connections: Easily create and save SSH connection configurations
• Edit Connections: Modify existing connection settings
• Delete Connections: Remove unwanted saved connections
• Import/Export Connections: Backup and transfer your connection configurations
• Connect/Disconnect: Quick connection toggling with visual status indicators

File Browsing

• Browse remote directories and files through a WebView interface
• Open and edit remote files directly in VS Code
• Supports files up to 10MB (configurable)
• Option to display hidden files (files starting with .)

User Interface

• Dedicated activity bar icon for easy access
• Tree view showing saved and connected connections
• Visual status indicators for connection state
• Context menus for quick actions
• Refresh functionality to update connection list

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace

1. Open VS Code
2. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search for "SSH File Explorer"
4. Click Install
5. Reload VS Code if prompted

From VSIX File

1. Download the .vsix file from the releases page
2. Open VS Code
3. Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
4. Click the "..." menu and select "Install from VSIX..."
5. Select the downloaded .vsix file
6. Reload VS Code

Usage

Getting Started

1. Open the SSH File Explorer panel

   • Click the SSH File Explorer icon in the activity bar, or
   • Use the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and run SSH: Focus on SSH Explorer

2. Create a new connection

   • Click the "+" button in the SSH File Explorer panel, or
   • Right-click in the panel and select "New Connection", or
   • Use the Command Palette and run SSH: New Connection

3. Fill in connection details

   • Connection Name: A friendly name to identify this connection
   • Host: The SSH server hostname or IP address
   • Port: SSH port (default: 22)
   • Username: Your SSH username
   • Password (optional): Your SSH password (if using password authentication)
   • Private Key (optional): Path to your SSH private key file (if using key-based authentication)

4. Connect to the server

   • Click on a saved connection and click the plug icon, or
   • Right-click on a connection and select "Connect"

Managing Connections

Edit a Connection

• Click the pencil icon in the connection's context menu, or
• Right-click on a connection and select "Edit"

Delete a Connection

• Click the trash icon in the connection's context menu, or
• Right-click on a connection and select "Delete"

Disconnect

• Click the disconnect icon next to a connected server, or
• Right-click on a connected server and select "Disconnect"

Export Connections

• Click the upload icon in the panel header, or
• Use the Command Palette and run SSH: Export Connections
• Select a location to save the connection configuration file

Import Connections

• Click the download icon in the panel header, or
• Use the Command Palette and run SSH: Import Connections
• Select a previously exported connection configuration file

Browsing Files

Once connected:

1. Click on a connected server to open the file browser
2. Navigate through directories by double-clicking folders
3. View file details including size and modification date
4. Open files by double-clicking them

Note: Files larger than 10MB cannot be opened in the editor by default. You can adjust this limit in the extension settings.

Configuration

The extension provides the following configurable settings:

Changing Settings

1. Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+, / Cmd+,)
2. Search for "SSH File Explorer"
3. Modify the desired settings

Or edit your settings.json directly:

{
  "sshFileExplorer.defaultPort": 22,
  "sshFileExplorer.showHiddenFiles": true,
  "sshFileExplorer.maxFileSize": 20971520
}

Keyboard Shortcuts

Note: Default shortcuts are not provided but you can add custom keybindings through VS Code's Keyboard Shortcuts settings.

Requirements

• VS Code: Version 1.85.0 or higher
• SSH Server: A running SSH server accessible from your network
• SSH Credentials: Valid username/password or SSH key pair for authentication

Troubleshooting

Connection Failed

• Verify the host and port are correct
• Check your network connection
• Ensure the SSH server is running and accessible
• Verify your username and password/key are correct

Cannot Open Large Files

• Increase the sshFileExplorer.maxFileSize setting
• Or edit the file using a terminal-based editor

Authentication Issues

• Ensure your SSH key has the correct permissions (readable only by you)
• Try using password authentication instead
• Check that your SSH server allows the authentication method you're using

Reporting Issues

If you encounter any bugs or have feature requests, please open an issue on GitHub with:

• A clear description of the problem
• Steps to reproduce the issue
• Your operating system and VS Code version
• Any relevant error messages

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/AmazingFeature)
5. Open a Pull Request

Roadmap

• [ ] Support for SSH key passphrases
• [ ] SFTP file upload/download functionality
• [ ] Multiple simultaneous connections
• [ ] Terminal integration
• [ ] Connection health monitoring
• [ ] Search functionality across remote files

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for details on recent updates.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Copyright

© 2026 El Houssine DARRAZI. All rights reserved.

SSH File Explorer is developed and maintained by El Houssine DARRAZI.

For more information, visit the GitHub repository or contact the author.