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kingtoolbox/windterm

★ 30,997CAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5StaleLicenseSetup · hard

TLDR

A fast, cross-platform terminal app for securely connecting to remote servers via SSH, Telnet, Serial, and other protocols, with file transfer, port forwarding, and split-pane views.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((WindTerm))
    Connection Methods
      SSH secure login
      Telnet Serial
      SFTP SCP transfers
      tmux sessions
    Features
      Split pane views
      File manager local remote
      Port forwarding
      X11 forwarding
    Interface
      Command palette
      Auto-completion
      Color themes
      Session logging
    Platforms
      Windows macOS Linux
      High performance
      Low memory use
    Use Cases
      Server management
      DevOps workflows
      Remote development

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Connect to and manage Linux or macOS servers securely using SSH with password or key-based authentication.

USE CASE 2

Transfer files between your computer and remote servers using SFTP or SCP without leaving the terminal.

USE CASE 3

Run multiple terminal sessions side-by-side with split panes and keep them alive using tmux integration.

USE CASE 4

Forward network ports securely through SSH or display graphical applications from remote machines on your local screen.

Tech stack

CSSHSFTPSCPtmuxX11

Getting it running

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1day+

Requires building from C source with multiple protocol dependencies (SSH, SFTP, SCP, tmux, X11) and cross-platform compilation setup.

Free for personal and commercial use with no restrictions; source code available under Apache 2.0 license.

In plain English

WindTerm is a professional terminal application for connecting to and managing remote computers. A terminal is a program that lets you type text commands and see text responses, it is the primary tool that developers, system administrators, and DevOps engineers use to control servers and other machines remotely. WindTerm supports several connection protocols. SSH (Secure Shell) is the most common way to securely log into a remote Linux or macOS server. Telnet and Serial are older connection methods still used in some networking hardware and embedded systems. SFTP and SCP are protocols for transferring files between machines. The app also integrates tmux, a tool that lets you keep terminal sessions running even after you disconnect. Beyond basic connectivity, WindTerm includes an integrated file manager for both local and remote files, port forwarding (a technique for routing network traffic securely through an SSH connection), X11 forwarding (for displaying graphical apps from a remote machine on your local screen), and support for various authentication methods including passwords and public-key cryptography. The interface runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It offers split views (multiple terminal panes side by side), auto-completion of commands, a command palette for quick access to features, synchronized input across multiple sessions, session logging, and customizable color themes. It is free for both personal and commercial use with no restrictions, and the source code is partially open under the Apache 2.0 license. Written in C, it is designed for high performance and low memory use.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
How do I set up SSH key-based authentication in WindTerm to log into my remote server without typing a password?
Prompt 2
Show me how to use port forwarding in WindTerm to securely access a database running on a remote server.
Prompt 3
How do I split my terminal into multiple panes in WindTerm and run commands in all of them at once?
Prompt 4
What's the best way to transfer large files between my computer and a remote server using WindTerm?
Prompt 5
How do I configure X11 forwarding in WindTerm to run graphical applications from a remote Linux machine?
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Generated 2026-05-18 · Model: sonnet-4-6 · Verify against the repo before relying on details.