lsmux

lsmux

About

lsmux is a pure Go, tmux-like SSH client that lets you select hosts from your lssh inventory and manage multiple remote sessions in a pane-based TUI. It is designed for operators who want to view several servers at once, run commands in dedicated panes, and keep the flexibility of lssh host selection while working in a terminal multiplexer style workflow.

Also, you can transfer files to a remote host directly from the target pane.

Usage

$ lsmux --help
NAME:
    lsmux - TUI mux style SSH client with host selector and pane management.
USAGE:
    lsmux [options] [command...]

OPTIONS:
    --host servername, -H servername            connect servername.
    --file filepath, -F filepath                config filepath. (default: "/Users/blacknon/.lssh.conf")
    --generate-lssh-conf ~/.ssh/config          print generated lssh config from OpenSSH config to stdout (~/.ssh/config by default).
    -R [bind_address:]port:remote_address:port  Remote port forward mode.Specify a [bind_address:]port:remote_address:port. If only one port is specified, it will operate as Reverse Dynamic Forward.
    -r port                                     HTTP Reverse Dynamic port forward mode. Specify a port.
    -m port:/path/to/local                      NFS Reverse Dynamic forward mode. Specify a port:/path/to/local.
    --hold                                      keep command panes after remote command exits.
    --allow-layout-change                       allow opening new pages/panes even in command mode.
    --list, -l                                  print server list from config.
    --help, -h                                  print this help
    --enable-control-master                     temporarily enable ControlMaster for this command execution
    --disable-control-master                    temporarily disable ControlMaster for this command execution
    --version, -v                               print the version

VERSION:
    lssh-suite 0.9.0 (beta/sysadmin)

USAGE:
    lsmux
    lsmux command...

Overview

terminal connect

lsmux opens interactive SSH sessions inside panes, so you can work with multiple hosts on a single screen. Hosts can be selected from your lssh inventory, and each pane keeps its own terminal state while sharing the same TUI workspace. This makes it easy to monitor several servers side by side without leaving the multiplexer interface.

command execution

You can start lsmux with a command argument to create command panes instead of interactive shells. This is useful for running one-shot remote commands such as hostname, tail, or health-check scripts while keeping the results visible in separate panes. If --hold is enabled, finished command panes remain open so you can review their output after execution.

forwarding

lsmux supports SSH forwarding features in the same workflow as regular remote sessions. You can open panes for connections that rely on reverse-side forwarding and continue working while forwarded connections stay active in the background of the selected pane. This is helpful when you need terminal access and SSH-based network access at the same time.

The following parallel-safe forwarding options are available:

• Remote port forward (-R)
• Reverse dynamic forward (-R <port>)
• HTTP reverse dynamic forward (-r)
• NFS reverse dynamic forward (-m)

Examples:

# remote port forwarding for each selected pane
lsmux -R 10080:localhost:80

# reverse dynamic forwarding (SOCKS-like listener on each remote host)
lsmux -R 1080

# HTTP reverse dynamic forwarding on each remote host
lsmux -r 18080

# NFS reverse dynamic forwarding on each remote host
lsmux -m 2049:/path/to/local

file transfer

Files can be transferred directly to the remote host represented by the active pane. This allows you to move scripts, configuration files, or small assets to the target server without leaving lsmux or opening a separate transfer tool. It fits well with the pane-oriented workflow when you want to upload a file and then verify it immediately in the same session.

config

lsmux uses the same configuration file format as lssh, so existing host definitions can be reused without additional setup. Connection settings such as address, user, authentication method, and related SSH options are loaded from the configured file. If you already manage hosts with lssh, you can usually start using lsmux with the same inventory right away.

You can customize lsmux key bindings and pane colors with settings under mux in ~/.lssh.toml or ~/.lssh.yaml.

[mux]
prefix = "Ctrl+A"
quit = "&"
new_page = "c"
new_pane = "s"
split_horizontal = "\""
split_vertical = "%"
next_pane = "o"
next_page = "n"
prev_page = "p"
page_list = "w"
close_pane = "x"
broadcast = "b"
transfer = "f"
focus_border_color = "green"
focus_title_color = "green"
broadcast_border_color = "yellow"
broadcast_title_color = "yellow"
done_border_color = "gray"
done_title_color = "gray"

mux:
  prefix: "Ctrl+A"
  quit: "&"
  new_page: "c"
  new_pane: "s"
  split_horizontal: "\""
  split_vertical: "%"
  next_pane: "o"
  next_page: "n"
  prev_page: "p"
  page_list: "w"
  close_pane: "x"
  broadcast: "b"
  transfer: "f"
  focus_border_color: "green"
  focus_title_color: "green"
  broadcast_border_color: "yellow"
  broadcast_title_color: "yellow"
  done_border_color: "gray"
  done_title_color: "gray"

Available mux settings:

• prefix: prefix key used before lsmux subcommands. Default: Ctrl+A
• quit: quit lsmux. Default: &
• new_page: create a new page. Default: c
• new_pane: open a host selector and add a pane. Default: s
• split_horizontal: split the current pane horizontally. Default: "
• split_vertical: split the current pane vertically. Default: %
• next_pane: move focus to the next pane. Default: o
• next_page: switch to the next page. Default: n
• prev_page: switch to the previous page. Default: p
• page_list: show the page list. Default: w
• close_pane: close the current pane. Default: x
• broadcast: toggle broadcast input to all panes on the page. Default: b
• transfer: open file transfer for the active pane. Default: f
• focus_border_color, focus_title_color: colors for the focused pane. Default: green
• broadcast_border_color, broadcast_title_color: colors for panes in broadcast mode. Default: yellow
• done_border_color, done_title_color: colors for completed command panes. Default: gray

These values only control the lsmux UI. Host connection settings such as addr, user, key, and proxy options continue to be defined in the regular common and server.<name> sections.