Introduction
What Bast is, how it fits into your SSH workflow, and what you can do with it.
Bast is a terminal app for browsing SSH hosts, managing keys, and connecting fast. Run bast and you get a full-screen interface with hosts on one tab and keys on the other. Pick a server, press Enter, and Bast hands off to your system ssh binary.
No custom protocol, no cloud sync, no hidden database. Bast reads the SSH configuration you already have, adds presentation metadata on top (groups, tags, favorites, notes), and keeps OpenSSH as the source of truth.
What you can do
- Browse and search every host in your SSH config, including
Includefiles - Add, edit, favorite, and hide hosts with groups, tags, colors, and notes
- Generate, import, export, and install SSH keys from the same interface
- Connect with one keypress, or jump straight in from the shell with
bast <label> - Automate everything through the CLI with optional JSON output
Requirements
- macOS or Linux
- OpenSSH:
ssh,ssh-keygen,ssh-add - A Nerd Font is recommended for some glyphs, but Bast works without one
Quick start
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
bast | Open the host picker |
bast update | Update Bast when installed via the bast.sh script |
bast <label> | Connect directly to a host label |
bast "Production web" | Labels with spaces work |
bast hosts list | List hosts without opening the TUI |
bast keys list | List SSH keys without opening the TUI |
Press ? inside the TUI for the full keyboard reference.
AI agents
Using Bast with Cursor, Claude Code, or Codex? Install the agent skill or point your agent at llms.txt.