Shell Pilot 1.24.0

September 25, 2026 · Feature release

SSH, rebuilt. Shell Pilot now recognises every SSH session, adds a file browser for the server you are connected to, and offers to reconnect when a connection drops.

Every SSH session is recognised

• Typed ssh prod, a shell alias, a script, or gcloud compute ssh — they are all detected. Before, only connections started from a shortcut were.
• The session is named after the host, and the window subtitle reads user@host:~/path. Your own session name comes back when you disconnect.

File browser for the server

• The sidebar tree shows the server’s working directory and follows cd. Folders expand in place, symlinked folders expand, and folders you can’t read say so.
• Double-click a folder to cd there, or a file to insert its path. Right-click to download, copy the path, or upload files into a folder.
• Edit Locally opens a server file on your Mac. When you save it, the sidebar offers to upload it back in place, keeping the file’s owner and permissions.
• Drag files from Finder onto a folder, or onto the terminal, to upload them.
• Transfers go through your existing session, so they work through jump hosts, gcloud IAP and two-factor logins.
• It follows you into sudo -i, su, a second ssh or docker exec, and back out.

Safer by design

• The previous version typed a listing command into the server every few seconds, which could land in a half-typed command, an editor or a password prompt. Nothing is typed on a timer now: the file browser only acts when you click, and only when the server’s prompt is empty.
• Nothing it types is visible, nothing goes into your shell history, and nothing is written to the server except files you upload. It needs bash or zsh on the server; other shells are left alone.

Connections

• When a connection drops, a banner offers Reconnect (⇧⌘R), which runs the same command again.
• If the server stops answering while you type, you get a Disconnect button.
• Sessions that were connected when you quit offer to reconnect on launch.
• The sidebar lists recent hosts and your ~/.ssh/config aliases. Connect to Host… (⇧⌘K) opens any of them in a new session.
• New Settings › SSH tab.

Tests

462 tests pass across 38 suites, including the server-side scripts in real zsh and bash and a full connect, list, exit and reconnect run.