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Shelzo

SSH workspaces

Open a folder on another machine and run that machine’s engines. SSH keys, host aliases, and sign-in remain under your control.

Connect over SSH

  1. Open the workspace + menu or folder picker and choose Connect over SSH….
  2. Enter an SSH host alias or user@host and an absolute remote folder, for example /home/me/project. Configure custom ports in your SSH config alias.
  3. If asked to authenticate, open a terminal first: choose Open terminal on host, complete SSH authentication, and return to Connect over SSH to retry.
  4. Connect, then select an engine installed on that host. Install and sign in to the remote CLI there if needed. Shelzo labels the workspace and its sessions with the host.

What is available

The initial SSH release (slice 0) supports remote shell cards, engine terminals, and structured chats. Chat history, layout, and approvals stay in Shelzo on your Mac. A path such as ssh://mini/home/me/project always refers to the remote host.

Remote Files and Changes are the next extension (slice 1). Availability depends on your app build. If a control says Not available over SSH yet, that build does not include it.

In builds with that extension, Files lists remote folders, expands directories, and reads text previews. Hidden files are included; large listings and previews show truncation. Copy remote path replaces Reveal in Finder. Changes shows remote Git status and diffs, including the chat’s Changes summary. Refresh is manual and on lane activity.

Remote file search, local file attachments, worktrees, Finish worktree, and delegation remain unavailable. Shelzo’s local connectors and computer-use tools are not forwarded to remote engines. A remote browser pane is not an SSH tunnel to a development server.

Reopen a remote workspace

Restored terminals wait for Start terminal; a restored chat connects when you send a message. Shelzo does not automatically replay a prompt after a dropped SSH connection.

If it fails

For authentication errors, open a terminal on the host first. For an unreachable host, test your SSH alias in a terminal and check connectivity and host-key trust. For a missing folder, verify the absolute path on the remote machine. After a timeout or disconnect, check whether the remote command is still running before starting it again.