Table of Contents

Saltbush Terminal

Saltbush Terminal is a tabbed terminal for Windows and Linux with saved sessions in folders and split panes. Version 1.8.2 connects over SSH2 (built-in engine or the OpenSSH client), RDP (Windows Remote Desktop), SFTP, Telnet, RLogin, raw TCP, serial ports and local shells, and has a two-pane SFTP browser and an SSH agent window. It calls BBSes with a proper DOS screen, the VGA font, Zmodem, Ymodem, Xmodem and Kermit, and runs Python and Lua scripts. It tells you when a new version is out and can install it for you. Scripts written for Lantern Terminal and the SyncTERM-Lua fork run unchanged.

Download installers and source code

Quick start

  1. Install Saltbush Terminal and start it.
  2. Choose File → New Session…, pick a protocol, enter the details and give the session a name and folder. For a BBS choose Tools → New BBS Session….
  3. Double-click the session in the Session Manager to connect.
  4. For SSH, check a new server's fingerprint before typing yes, then answer the password or passphrase question in the terminal.

File → Quick Connect… (Ctrl+Shift+Q) connects without saving first, and File → Open Local Shell (Ctrl+Shift+T) opens a shell on this computer.

Guides

Keyboard

Saltbush's own shortcuts use Ctrl+Shift, so Ctrl+C, Ctrl+D, Ctrl+W and the other Ctrl keys reach the program in the terminal.

Keys Action
Ctrl+Shift+N New session
Ctrl+Shift+Q Quick Connect
Ctrl+Shift+T Local shell
Ctrl+Shift+C / Ctrl+Shift+V Copy / paste (Shift+Insert also pastes)
Ctrl+Shift+F Find in the terminal and its scrollback
Ctrl+Shift+R / Ctrl+Shift+D Reconnect / disconnect
Ctrl+Shift+W Close tab
Ctrl+Shift+E / Ctrl+Shift+O Split the active pane left/right / top/bottom
Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab Next / previous tab
F1 Help (keyboard shortcuts)
F2 Session Options
F3 / Shift+F3 Find next / previous
F4 Quick Connect
F5 Reconnect
F6 Next split pane
F7 SFTP Browser (SSH sessions)
F8 Send a file (Zmodem upload)
F9 Start or stop session logging
F10 Sent to the remote program
F11 Full screen
F12 / Shift+F12 / Ctrl+F12 Run a script / cancel it / run the last script again
Alt+F1 … Alt+F12 Send the plain function key to the remote program

Session Options → Input can make plain Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V copy and paste instead, and has Function keys go to the remote program for programs that need F1–F12 (Midnight Commander, htop and some BBS screens). A key of your own on the Key Mappings page wins over the keys above. While a dialog is open only F11 works. Right-click in the terminal for Copy and Paste, and middle-click also pastes.

Help → Check for Updates… looks for a new version (see Updates).

Limits

Tried on real computers: tear-off tabs and RDP sessions (new in 1.8.0) have been tried on a Linux desktop and on Windows with several monitors, including two RDP sessions at once.

The Windows version has been tested under Wine but not yet on a physical Windows PC. The full list is in LIMITATIONS.md.

Questions and bug reports: slaterm@theiguru.au