Using Burrow
Hosts
A host is a saved connection: where the server is, who you log in as, and how.
Add a host
Open Hosts in the sidebar and click New host. A host has these fields:
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|
| Label | The name shown in the host list. |
| Group | Optional. Hosts in the same group are listed together. As you type, Burrow suggests the groups you already have. |
| Host | A domain name or an IP address. |
| Port | The SSH port. The default is 22. |
| Username | The user you log in as. |
| Authentication | Password or Key. See below. |
| Note | Optional. Anything you want to remember about the host, up to 5000 characters. |
Log in with a password
You have two choices:
- Save the password in the vault. It’s encrypted with your master password, and Burrow logs in without asking.
- Leave it empty. Burrow asks for it every time you connect. The prompt has an option to save it, in case you change your mind.
You can remove a saved password again in the host form. After that, Burrow asks on every connect.
Log in with a key
Pick a key from the Keychain. If you don’t have one yet, generate or import one under Keychain first, then add its public key to the server. Keychain explains how.
Find a host
The host list is grouped. Hosts without a group are listed under Ungrouped. Within a group, hosts are sorted by name.
Search matches the label, host, user, group and note. A word you wrote in a note is enough to find a host.
Connect
There are three ways to connect:
- Double-click the host’s card.
- Select the card and press Enter.
- Click the play button on the card.
Every connection opens in a new tab, so you can have several sessions to the same host at once.
Host status
Host status puts a green or red dot on each host, so you can see at a glance which servers are reachable. It’s off by default. Turn it on in Settings.
To check a host, Burrow opens a plain network connection to its SSH port. It doesn’t log in and doesn’t send any credentials.
It checks:
- when you open the host list
- after you add or change a host
- when you click the refresh button