Getting started with Termal OS.
From zero to a live desktop over SSH in a couple of minutes.
Getting started
Termal OS is a desktop app. There's nothing to install on your servers - it talks to them over a standard SSH connection.
- Download Termal OS for your platform and run the installer.
- On first launch you'll create a local account and accept the terms - this sets up your encrypted local vault.
- Add your first server (below) and you're live.
Add a server
Click Add a server and fill in the connection details:
- Host & port - e.g. server.example.com on 22.
- Username - your SSH user.
- Authentication - password, or a private key (PEM) with an optional passphrase.
Hit Test connection to verify before saving. On connect, Termal probes the server and adapts the interface - distribution, web server, hosting type (Infomaniak / Plesk / cPanel / standard), runtimes, databases and Docker.
The dashboard
Each server opens to a live System view, pushed in real time over WebSocket:
- CPU (global & per-core), load average, memory & swap.
- Disks per mount point, network throughput, uptime, top processes.
- History with anomaly detection (z-score) that flags unusual spikes.
Other tabs adapt to what the server exposes: Sites (hosted websites, PHP version, git pull, visit stats), Software, Services, Containers (Docker, when present), Logs (live tail -F), Terminal and Desktop.
Remote desktop
The Desktop tab opens a full graphical environment on top of the remote filesystem - window manager, taskbar, Start menu and desktop icons. Built-in apps include:
- Explorer - SFTP file manager: upload, download folders as archives, compress/extract, permissions, copy with a real progress window.
- Termal Code - a VS Code-style editor (Monaco) with a file tree and tabs.
- Terminal - a real PTY shell.
- Termal Browser - a multi-tab browser with bookmarks and docked devtools.
- Monitor & Process manager - live resources and task control.
- Termal App Studio - build your own Termal apps in plain HTML/JS, right from the desktop. See the developer docs.
A few power-user touches across the desktop:
- Command palette - press ⌘/CtrlK to search and launch any app or desktop action.
- Keyboard shortcuts - press ? for the full list (search, rename, copy / cut / paste, move to trash…).
- Detach a desktop - pop a server's desktop into its own window (its title shows the server name), so you can watch two servers side by side.
- Transfer between servers - drag a file or folder from one detached desktop onto another: it is copied across the two servers (the original stays in place).
- Taskbar - place it at the top or bottom of the screen, and optionally set it to auto-hide.
Alerts & notifications
Set thresholds for CPU, memory and disk (warning & critical), choose a polling interval, and route notifications:
- Telegram, Slack, Discord, email (SMTP) and generic HTTP webhooks.
- Active alerts show in a banner with a recent events log.
- Escalation when an issue stays critical, plus per-server threshold overrides - each server can use the defaults or set its own.
Plans & license
Termal OS is free for one server with the full desktop and monitoring. To unlock more servers, the AI copilot, the API and team features, connect your termalos.com account from Settings → License; the license is validated online and cached for offline use (14-day grace).
See pricing for the full plan comparison.
Security
- Secrets (SSH passwords, private keys) are encrypted with AES-256-GCM using a per-install master key.
- An optional app password locks the dashboard behind a lock screen.
- Log paths and domain names are validated before any remote command runs.
Building your own mini-apps? See the SDK & example apps on GitHub → or the developer overview.