Command-line flags¶

Desktop launch targets¶

The desktop executable can open a saved host, a folder of hosts, or a workspace directly:

muxus --host edge-router
muxus --folder "Production/EU"
muxus --workspace "Night shift"

Names are matched case-insensitively. A host accepts an OpenSSH alias, a saved-host name or ID, or an unambiguous display name. A folder accepts its full path, an unambiguous leaf name, or an ssh_config file-group label or filename. Folder launches use tabs and replace the current pane layout, matching the sidebar's default Launch hosts action. A workspace accepts its name or ID.

Only one launch target may be supplied at a time. If Muxus is already running, the new invocation is forwarded to its existing process. A workspace that is not already open uses a new window, preserving live sessions in the current one. Windows installations are not added to PATH; AutoHotkey, Stream Deck, PowerShell, and shortcuts can invoke muxus.exe by its full installation path.

Flags accept both --host edge-router and --host=edge-router.

Ad-hoc SSH connections¶

--connect opens an SSH session to a host that does not need to be in Muxus or ~/.ssh/config, so a network monitoring system, inventory or other tool with its own device list can hand a device straight to Muxus:

muxus --connect admin@10.10.10.1
muxus --connect admin@10.10.10.1:2222
muxus --connect 10.10.10.1 --user admin --port 2222
muxus --connect "[2001:db8::1]:830"

The target is dialed like ssh <target>, the same as typing it into the sidebar search, so matching ssh_config blocks still supply keys, jump hosts and other options. --user and --port are only accepted together with --connect, and only when the target does not already name a user or port. An IPv6 address with a port is written in brackets; --port adds them where they are needed. As with the other targets, a running Muxus opens the session as a new tab.

Passwords are never passed on the command line. The session asks for them in the terminal as usual and can use the password vault for later connections to the same account.

Hosts and users are limited to letters, digits and ., _, - (plus @ and + in user names, and an IPv6 zone such as %eth0), because they can reach a ProxyCommand shell. A target that does not fit is ignored and Muxus just starts or comes to the front.

Links¶

An ssh:// or telnet:// link given as an argument opens like a link clicked in a browser once Muxus is the handler for those links:

muxus "ssh://admin@10.0.0.1:2222"
muxus "telnet://switch-01"

This is how the system passes a clicked link on Linux and Windows; macOS delivers it through Launch Services instead. A link counts as the one launch target, and it is checked in the window that opens it, so a malformed link shows an error notification there.

Server flags¶

The server is server/dist/index.js, started by pnpm start or embedded in the desktop app. It always binds 127.0.0.1.

node server/dist/index.js [--port <n>] [--no-open] [--history-path <dir>]

Flags accept both --port 3010 and --port=3010.

Environment variables¶

Data locations¶

The standalone server and the desktop app keep separate databases, because the desktop build uses Electron's per-app directory:

Muxus-only SSH, Telnet, serial, RDP and VNC connection settings are stored there; OpenSSH-backed hosts remain in ~/.ssh/config. Moving between the two builds is done with backup and restore.

Workspace scripts¶

From a source checkout:

Documentation tooling¶

The docs in this site are built with Zensical:

Screenshots are generated rather than taken by hand:

pnpm build
node hack/demo-env.mjs     # a sandbox: fake HOME, invented hosts, in-process sshds
node hack/capture.mjs      # light theme
THEME=dark node hack/capture.mjs
node hack/record.mjs       # the landing-page tour, as an mp4 (needs ffmpeg)

hack/demo-env.mjs builds a throwaway home directory under /tmp, generates keys, and starts a small SSH server per demo host, so every screenshot shows a real session against hosts that do not exist.