SSH Keys Manager

Table of Contents

1. About The Project
2. Download
3. Features
4. AI-Assisted Development
5. Build From Source
6. License

About The Project

SSH Keys Manager is a native macOS application focused on one job: making local SSH key management easier and safer.

It gives you a clean interface for working with private and public key files, reviewing SSH config entries, assigning IdentityFile values, and maintaining a local SSH workspace without dropping into a terminal for every routine change.

The app works with the default ~/.ssh directory, but it can also point to a custom SSH workspace if you keep your keys somewhere else.

Back to top

Download

You can download a ready-to-run build from the project's GitHub Releases page.

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/SSH Keys Manager.app"

open "/Applications/SSH Keys Manager.app"

Back to top

Features

SSH Key Workspace

Browse keys from ~/.ssh or from a custom directory, inspect metadata, and keep related files in one place.

Generate, Rename, Duplicate, and Remove Keys

Create new key pairs with a selected filename, key type, comment, and optional passphrase. You can also rename existing keys, duplicate them, update comments, change passphrases, and remove files you no longer need.

SSH Config Editing

Create, edit, reorder, and delete Host blocks from your SSH config with a native form-based editor. The app also helps map hosts to available private keys through IdentityFile selection and can check whether configured SSH hosts are reachable directly from the sidebar.

Menu Bar Access

The app includes a menu bar interface for quick access to your SSH keys. You can copy public and private keys directly from the menu bar without switching back to the main app window.

Read-Only Safety Mode

For extra safety, the app includes a Read-only mode.

When enabled, it blocks operations that would modify existing SSH files, including editing, overwriting, renaming, and deleting. This is especially useful if you want to inspect and copy keys without risking accidental changes to a working SSH setup.

Native macOS Experience

Built with Swift and SwiftUI, the app is designed to feel like a regular Mac utility instead of a wrapped web tool. It supports a menu bar workflow and a dedicated settings screen for SSH directory selection, config backup behavior, external tool paths, and safety controls.

Back to top

AI-Assisted Development

Back to top

Build From Source

You can build the app yourself from source by cloning the repository.

Option 1: Open in Xcode

git clone https://github.com/Stmol/ssh-keys-manager-macos-app.git
cd ssh-keys-manager
open "SSH Keys Manager.xcodeproj"

Then build and run the SSH Keys Manager scheme from Xcode.

Option 2: Build a Release DMG from the command line

The repository includes a release packaging pipeline that builds an unsigned macOS release and produces a DMG locally.

git clone https://github.com/Stmol/ssh-keys-manager-macos-app.git
cd ssh-keys-manager
make release-dmg VERSION=v0.1.0

Or build the full set of release assets:

make release-assets VERSION=v0.1.0

This produces:

• dist/SSH-Keys-Manager-v0.1.0.dmg
• dist/SSH-Keys-Manager.dmg
• dist/SSH-Keys-Manager-v0.1.0-dSYMs.zip

Option 3: Build a Local Release App and Install It into /Applications

If you want to use the app on your own Mac like a regular application, you can build the release .app locally and copy it into /Applications:

git clone https://github.com/Stmol/ssh-keys-manager-macos-app.git
cd ssh-keys-manager
make release-app VERSION=v0.1.0
ditto "build/release/Products/Release/SSH Keys Manager.app" "/Applications/SSH Keys Manager.app"
open "/Applications/SSH Keys Manager.app"

The locally built app is usually the simplest option for personal use because it does not come from a quarantined internet download.

Back to top

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Back to top