SSHS — SSH Server Manager for VS Code
A professional-grade sidebar extension that turns your ~/.ssh/config into a visual, searchable, taggable server dashboard — with one-click connections to native terminals or VS Code Remote-SSH workspaces.
Features
Instant Server Dashboard
SSH Manager automatically parses your SSH config file and presents every host as a clean, searchable card in the sidebar. No manual entry required — if it's in your config, it's in the list.
One-Click Connections
Every server card gives you two ways to connect:
- Native Terminal — spawns a real terminal window (Windows Terminal, macOS Terminal.app, or your Linux default) with the SSH command ready
- Remote-SSH — opens a new VS Code window connected via Microsoft's Remote-SSH extension, giving you the full remote workspace experience
Double-click any server to instantly open it in Remote-SSH.
Create color-coded tags (e.g. Production, Staging, Database) and assign servers to them. Tags appear as dynamic tabs in the sidebar — click a tab to filter the list to only those servers.
- Servers can belong to multiple tags
- Each tag has its own color
- Tag counts update in real-time
Full Server CRUD
Manage your SSH config directly from the UI:
- Add — click
+ in the toolbar, fill in host/IP/user/port/key via a guided wizard
- Edit — click the pencil icon on any server card to update its details
- Delete — click the trash icon and confirm to remove it from your config
All changes write directly to your SSH config file.
Pin Favorites
Star the servers you use most. Pinned servers are visually marked across all views.
Keyboard-First Workflow
Press Ctrl+Shift+S (Cmd+Shift+S on Mac) to open the sidebar with the search input already focused. Start typing to filter by hostname, IP, or user — zero mouse clicks needed.
Smart Config Discovery
SSH Manager auto-discovers config files from standard locations:
| OS |
Paths checked |
| Windows |
%USERPROFILE%\.ssh\config, C:\ProgramData\ssh\ssh_config |
| macOS / Linux |
~/.ssh/config, /etc/ssh/ssh_config |
Supports Include directives and wildcard patterns. You can also browse to any custom config file.
Quick Start
- Install the extension
- Click the SSH Manager icon in the activity bar (left sidebar)
- Your servers appear instantly — parsed from
~/.ssh/config
- Hover any server to see actions: copy IP, pin, tag, edit, delete, connect
Commands & Keybindings
| Command |
Keybinding |
Description |
SSHS: Open & Focus Search |
Ctrl+Shift+S |
Open sidebar and focus the search input |
SSHS: Refresh Config |
Ctrl+Shift+R* |
Re-read the SSH config file |
SSHS: Copy IP |
— |
Copy a server's IP to clipboard |
SSHS: Connect to Host |
— |
Open native terminal with SSH |
*Only when the sidebar is focused.
All keybindings are customizable via File > Preferences > Keyboard Shortcuts — search for sshs.
Server Card Actions
Each server card reveals these actions on hover:
| Icon |
Action |
Description |
| Copy |
Copy IP |
Copies the server's hostname/IP to clipboard |
| Pin |
Pin / Unpin |
Mark as favorite |
| Tag |
Assign Tags |
Opens a multi-select picker to assign tags |
| Pencil |
Edit |
Modify host, IP, user, port, or key |
| Trash |
Delete |
Remove from SSH config (with confirmation) |
| Terminal |
Open Terminal |
Connect in your OS native terminal |
| Remote |
Open in VS Code |
Connect via Remote-SSH in a new window |
Tag System
Tags let you organize servers into custom groups:
- Click
+ in the tab bar to create a new tag
- Give it a name and pick a color
- Click the tag icon on any server to assign it
- Click a tag tab to filter the server list
- Hover a tag tab and click
× to delete it
Servers can belong to multiple tags. Tag assignments and favorites persist across sessions.
Requirements
- VS Code 1.85.0 or later
- An SSH config file with
Host entries
- Remote-SSH extension (optional, for the "Open in VS Code" action)
Extension Settings
This extension reads from your existing SSH config file — no additional configuration required. The active config file can be changed by clicking the config path bar in the sidebar or using the folder icon in the toolbar.
Known Issues
- Wildcard
Host * entries are included in the server list — you may want to place them at the end of your config
- The native terminal command uses the hostname/IP directly; proxy jump configurations are handled by the SSH client itself
Release Notes
1.6.0
- Keyboard shortcut
Ctrl+Shift+S to open sidebar with search focused
- Auto-focus search input when sidebar becomes visible
1.5.0
- Full server CRUD: add, edit, and delete servers directly from the UI
- Changes write to SSH config file in real-time
1.4.0
- Remote-SSH integration: open servers in VS Code remote workspaces
- Double-click to connect via Remote-SSH
- Automatic detection of Remote-SSH extension with install prompt
1.3.0
- Professional UI overhaul with SVG icons and refined server cards
- Avatar initials with color-coded backgrounds (root vs user)
- Ghost-style action buttons with semantic hover colors
- Server count display and double-click to connect
1.2.0
- Dynamic tag tabs replacing static group tabs
- Inline tag creation with color picker
- VS Code QuickPick for multi-tag assignment
- Tag badges on server cards with one-click removal
1.1.0
- Custom tagging system with CRUD operations
- Color-coded tags with server assignments
- Persistent state for tags and assignments
1.0.0
- Initial release
- SSH config parsing with Include directive support
- Sidebar webview with search and server cards
- Native terminal connections (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Copy IP to clipboard
- Pin/favorite servers
- Config file picker with auto-discovery
Contributing
Contributions, issues, and feature requests are welcome.
Open an issue or submit a merge request on GitLab.
License
MIT
