MobaXTauri

An open-source SSH terminal and SFTP desktop client built with Tauri, Rust, React, and TypeScript.

MobaXTauri is a lightweight, cross-platform desktop application for organizing SSH connections, working in multiple terminal sessions, and browsing remote files over SFTP. It is inspired by MobaXterm and is being developed in the open as a full-stack desktop application.

Screenshots

SSH terminal	Split terminal

SFTP explorer	Remote file editor

Command snippets	Configurable shortcuts

Project status

MobaXTauri is early-beta software. The main workflows are implemented, but it has not yet received broad platform, server, or security testing. It is suitable for evaluation and development; do not use it for production-sensitive systems yet.

In particular, the current SSH client accepts server host keys without verifying them. Host-key verification is the highest-priority item on the roadmap.

Features

Area	Current capability
SSH terminal	Multiple Xterm.js terminal tabs backed by asynchronous Rust SSH sessions
Authentication	Password and OpenSSH private-key authentication
SFTP	Browse, upload, download, copy, rename, edit, create, and delete remote files and directories
Session management	Folders, drag and drop, environment tags, saved tab workspaces, and quick connect
Productivity	Command snippets, command palette, configurable shortcuts, terminal search, and recording export
Import and export	Application backup/restore, OpenSSH config import, and MobaXterm bookmark import
Host information	Linux-focused OS detection and CPU, memory, swap, and disk health display
Local security	Saved passwords are stored in a local Tauri Stronghold vault rather than the session store
Interface	Responsive dashboard, dark/light themes, and persistent background terminal views

Architecture

MobaXTauri demonstrates a complete desktop stack:

React + TypeScript UI
        │ Tauri commands and events
        ▼
Rust async backend (Tokio)
        │
        ├── russh / russh-sftp ──► remote SSH servers
        ├── Tauri Stronghold ─────► local credential vault
        └── Tauri Store ──────────► local sessions and preferences

Layer	Technology
Desktop runtime	Tauri v2
Frontend	React 19, TypeScript, Chakra UI v3
State management	Zustand
Terminal	Xterm.js
Backend	Rust and Tokio
SSH / SFTP	russh and russh-sftp
Credential storage	Tauri Stronghold and Argon2id
Tooling	Vite, Vitest, Testing Library, ESLint, Prettier, Clippy

Download

Published builds are available on the GitHub Releases page. Because this is early-beta software, review the release notes and known limitations before running a build.

The release workflow is configured to produce Windows MSI/NSIS installers and a portable executable, a macOS DMG, and Linux DEB/AppImage packages. A package appearing in the workflow does not yet mean it has been tested on every OS distribution or hardware configuration.

Development setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20 or newer (the release workflow uses Node.js 22)
• Rust stable
• Platform prerequisites from the Tauri v2 documentation

On Ubuntu/Debian, the release workflow installs:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y libgtk-3-dev libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libappindicator3-dev librsvg2-dev patchelf

Run locally

git clone https://github.com/dimastriann/mobaxtauri.git
cd mobaxtauri
npm install
npm run tauri dev

Build installers for the current platform with:

npm run tauri build

Build artifacts are written under src-tauri/target/release/bundle/.

Quality checks

Command	Purpose
npm run test -- --run	Run frontend unit/component tests once
npm run build	Type-check and build the frontend
npm run lint	Run ESLint
npm run format:check	Check frontend formatting
cargo test --manifest-path src-tauri/Cargo.toml	Run Rust tests
npm run lint:rust	Run Clippy
npm run project:check	Run the combined TypeScript, lint, formatting, and Clippy checks

Tagged releases run frontend and Rust tests, then build draft releases on Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu through GitHub Actions.

Data and security

Application data stays on the local machine unless you explicitly connect to a remote SSH server. Session metadata and preferences use Tauri Store. Passwords selected for saving are kept separately in a Tauri Stronghold vault.

Data	Windows	macOS	Linux
Session store	%APPDATA%\\com.dn201.mobaxtauri	~/Library/Application Support/com.dn201.mobaxtauri	~/.config/com.dn201.mobaxtauri
Credential vault	Application data directory, vault-v2.hold	Application data directory, vault-v2.hold	Application data directory, vault-v2.hold

Exact application-data paths can vary by OS packaging. See SECURITY.md for the current security model, limitations, and responsible disclosure instructions.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome, including documentation, tests, platform reports, UX improvements, and Rust or React changes. Start with:

1. Read CONTRIBUTING.md and the Code of Conduct.
2. Review the roadmap.
3. Choose an issue labeled good first issue or help wanted, or open a proposal before a large change.
4. Submit a focused pull request with tests or clear manual verification notes.

Security vulnerabilities should not be filed as public issues; follow SECURITY.md.

License

MobaXTauri is available under the MIT License.