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N3X Shell – SSH Manager

A native Windows and macOS SSH app with separate root tabs through sudo -i or su - root, a Services window for systemd, a safe Command Builder, an agentless Container Center, BYOK/BYOM AI Live Assist, persistent sessions, tunnels, and an SFTP Commander. Secrets stay in the system vault.

N3X Shell — SSH, updates, containers, and a safe AI Copilot

A lightweight native Windows and macOS app for managing SSH servers without an agent. Update Center selects and simulates APT updates and safely prepares Debian/Ubuntu release upgrades in a persistent root session. Command Builder previews exact commands, AI Copilot never runs them itself, and SFTP Commander stays beside the terminal.

Download for WindowsDownload for macOS

Windows 11 (.exe) and macOS (.dmg) · Update Center, Docker and Kubernetes/K3s over SSH · AI OFF by default

Application interface

More than an SSH terminal

Docker, live system monitoring, updates, scripts, SFTP and AI — one app, no N3XShell agent on the server. Actual release 1.24.4 interface with sample data. Click a screenshot to enlarge it.

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Docker under control

Container Center brings container status, CPU, memory and ports together over SSH. Access logs and start, stop or restart actions without installing an N3XShell agent on the server.

What N3X Shell can do

Server organizer with drag & drop

Sort by name, IP or recent connection, or keep your own order. Drag hosts and folders, move multiple selected servers, pin favorites and filter by tags or open SSH sessions. Collapsible folders and layout persist locally, with Undo and keyboard alternatives — without changing passwords or disconnecting terminals.

One-click connect

Double-click opens a session in a new tab. Multiple parallel connections, fast switching and reconnect.

Safe root tab

The Root button opens a separate, marked shell through sudo -i or su - root. Credentials are shared with SFTP and administrator panels for the same host and SSH account, with separate sudo/su slots. Choose one operation, backend memory with a 30-minute idle expiry, or the OS vault. The host menu lets you forget them; passwords are never pasted into the terminal.

Update Center for Debian and Ubuntu

Browse APT updates, select individual packages or security fixes only, and review a fresh dependency simulation. The release wizard checks dpkg, holds, pending reboot, disk space, sources, and tmux; the real command is inserted into a separate persistent ROOT tab without an automatic Enter.

Built-in terminal

A full terminal emulator (xterm) with PTY, colors and resizing support — just like a native console.

LVM growth with step monitoring

Review the disk–PV–VG–LV path and full commands in collapsible steps. During an operation, see the current stage, elapsed time and completed-step count plus separate SSH responsiveness confirmation. Status stays visible while scrolling, with no invented disk-work percentage or automatic retry after an error.

Command Builder without flag guesswork

Select reviewed options for official commands through checkboxes, lists, and bounded numbers. N3XShell accepts no arbitrary switches, adds no force or auto-approve shortcuts, and always previews the exact result before insertion.

AI Copilot under your control

Create and switch profiles for OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, local Ollama, and custom endpoints. Choose manual preview or Live Assist, which analyzes after 4 quiet seconds within an hourly cap. Every proposed command still requires separate approval.

Persistent tmux and Screen sessions

Create, inspect, and attach sessions visually. Long-running work continues after a tab closes or SSH drops, and a library command can start directly inside a new persistent session.

Agentless Docker and Kubernetes

Container Center detects Docker, kubectl, and K3s over the existing SSH connection. It shows containers, live stats, images, Compose projects, nodes, workloads, pods, and services, and provides logs plus approved actions with RBAC checks. Hosts that require root can use an explicit sudo mode that is off by default.

Password & key auth

Sign in with a password or a private key (with passphrase). Standard OpenSSH keys supported.

Secrets in the system vault

Passwords, key passphrases, and isolated model-profile API keys go into the OS credential store, never a config file or the interface. Host configuration stays local.

Server key verification

Trust on first use (known hosts) and a warning when a server key changes — protection against MITM attacks.

SSH tunnels without a console

A visual ssh -N -L equivalent for HTTP, HTTPS and TCP. Dynamic port, autostart, reconnect, traffic counters and a safe 127.0.0.1-only listener.

SFTP commander with administrator mode

Transfer and edit files alongside the terminal. Explicitly enable ROOT using the host's sudo or su route and shared credentials, or retry a denied operation after approving the host and path. Server policy must allow a non-PTY session. Saves preserve ownership and permissions, detect conflicts and can keep a backup.

Templates and multi-host installs

Save a Zabbix installer configuration without PSKs or other secrets, select multiple servers, review the exact plan, and track a separate result for each sequential deployment.

Script Studio — editor and script library

Paste and edit a complete Bash/sh script in a separate tab, save a template or export .sh. Enter parameters, check the host and privileges, approve with RUN and follow output in a persistent tmux session. Secret fields stay out of templates and exports.

How to install

  1. 1Choose the Windows installer (.exe) or the macOS disk image (.dmg).
  2. 2Run the .exe installer, or open the .dmg and move N3XShell to Applications.
  3. 3Add your first server (host, user, sign-in method) and connect with a double-click.

Changelog

    • ImprovementDocker administration: disk usage, selected-resource removal, unused images, stopped containers and networks, plus build-cache cleanup with age and storage controls. The reviewed scope is rechecked before execution; volumes have separate confirmation.
    • ImprovementContainer console in a dedicated tab with shell detection and user selection. Diagnostics include ports and the Compose project. Logs show a rolling 300-entry tail refreshed every 2 seconds, with scroll pause, search and file export. Detected Compose projects support start, stop, restart, logs, image pull and deployment.
    • ImprovementA shared background-window dock for Container Center, Services, System Monitor, Inventory, Update Center, Installer, tmux/Screen sessions, the LVM wizard and Settings. Minimize to use the rest of the app, then restore the view and entered values. Reopening a tool restores its existing window.
    • ImprovementSFTP can be minimized during transfers, and its editor retains unsaved text. Services and System Monitor pause polling while hidden. Approved operations and installs can finish in the background while the app remains open; the dock shows their outcome, and new password requests wait for the window to be restored.
    • ImprovementSFTP Commander: drag files between the local and server panels, or upload files dropped from Explorer/Finder. Dropping on a folder copies into it, highlighting shows the destination, and multiple files from the OS transfer sequentially. Overwriting still requires confirmation; whole-folder transfers are not supported.
    • ImprovementEnable SFTP administrator mode with its confirmation button, without typing ROOT. sudo/su authentication, the correct shared credentials and a separate administrator session for this window still apply.
    • FixThe wheel in a fullscreen terminal without mouse reporting opens received-text history instead of sending arrows and recalling commands, including in ROOT. History is available from the tab icon, Shift+wheel and Shift+PageUp; Esc returns to the terminal.
    • FixReconnection restores the normal buffer and mouse/keyboard modes without clearing scrollback. Each tab retains up to 10,000 lines and 2 million characters in memory; it cannot recover earlier history from a remote tmux/screen session.
    • FixCopy last command output works after the terminal scrollback fills, including ROOT sessions. Long results retain the available output, and wrapped commands and lines are reconstructed correctly after resizing the window.
    • ImprovementPersistent sessions: the User / ROOT switch displays tmux and GNU Screen sessions for the selected account. Listing, creation, attachment and termination share the same owner, also shown in the termination confirmation.
    • ImprovementROOT mode reuses the host's shared sudo or su credentials without asking again for a remembered password or pasting it into the terminal. Direct root SSH does not require sudo. Reconnection preserves elevation and the selected session.
    • FixThe panel rejects late responses after changing the owner or closing the window. Permission errors and timeouts are distinguished from an empty list. Small-window layout and focus restoration after cancelling termination in WebKit are improved.

USER GUIDE

N3XShell user guide

Installation, getting started, settings and troubleshooting.

N3XShell

N3XShell combines an SSH terminal, SFTP file transfer and server management tools. Connecting requires a server address, an account and a password or SSH key.

Requirements and installation

Windows 11 or macOS (Intel or Apple Silicon).

  1. Download the ready installer using the download button on this page.
  2. On Windows, open the .exe file and follow the installer. On macOS, open the .dmg file and drag the app into Applications.
  3. Open the installed app.

Use the current release linked on the product page. Installation does not require source code or developer tools.

Make your first connection

  1. Add a host with its name, address, SSH port and username.
  2. Choose password or private-key authentication. Passwords can be stored in the operating system's credential store.
  3. Connect. On the first connection, compare the server's key fingerprint with a trusted source.
  4. Use the terminal tab. The SFTP manager transfers and edits files on the same server.

Everyday work

Use folders, tags and favorites to organize servers. Tunnels provide access to selected services over SSH. Persistent tmux or GNU Screen sessions let you reconnect to a running session after losing connectivity; the relevant tool must be installed on the server.

Update Center handles Debian/Ubuntu updates. Services shows systemd units and logs, while Container Center manages Docker and Kubernetes/K3s over SSH. Features depend on the server's software and your account's permissions.

Permissions and AI

A normal session uses the SSH account's permissions. Root opens a separate tab through sudo -i or su - root. Check the host and proposed command before making changes.

AI is optional and disabled by default. After configuring a provider, manual mode previews context before sending it. Enabled Live Assist can send new terminal output automatically. The model does not execute commands itself.

Troubleshooting

If a connection fails, check the address, port, VPN and account permissions. Explain a changed host-key fingerprint with the administrator before accepting it. Back up the server and arrange independent console access before upgrading its operating system.