ViSH vs Shellby

ViSH turns your iPad into a portable, local ARM64 Linux workspace — run Alpine Linux or Ubuntu 24.04 in a terminal designed for touch, with a phosphor-amber interface, 505 color themes with live previews, and a shortcut key bar built for real CLI work. Keep multiple Linux filesystems side by side, switch which one boots, import or export root filesystem archives, and browse every filesystem from a single ViSH location in Files. No remote server is required. ViSH requires an auto-renewing subscription (yearly or monthly) after a 7-day free trial. Everything described below — the Linux terminal, AI coding CLIs, side panels, SSH tools, and the Setup Guide — requires an active subscription. Run AI coding CLIs directly on your iPad. Install Claude Code and Codex to pair-program, refactor, and explore codebases right from the terminal. Bring your own account or API key, pick your model, and configure everything through a guided setup. A complete terminal toolchain: • Alpine Linux with apk or Ubuntu 24.04 with apt • Git, SSH, and the OpenSSH client for cloning, committing, and remote work • Node.js, npm, and pnpm for JavaScript and TypeScript projects • Editors (nano), fast search (ripgrep), tmux, and common build tools • Claude Code, Codex, and other terminal coding agents Filesystems, SSH, and hardware: • Download supported filesystems or import your own archive • Keep separate login users, boot commands, and setup state for each filesystem • Export any filesystem as a tar.gz archive • Save SSH servers with password or key authentication, jump hosts, port forwarding, keep-alive, and automatic tab reconnection • Connect Bluetooth serial adapters to Linux, with modem controls and optional local RFC 2217 access Designed for iPad: • Multi-tab terminal sessions; long-press + to choose a local or SSH tab • Pinch to resize terminal text, mirror the terminal in Picture in Picture, and open guest links in Safari • A pinnable shortcut key bar with sticky modifiers and command snippets • 505 terminal themes in a live gallery, plus coding fonts with glyph previews • Side panels for Keys, Appearance, Voice input, and SSH • A guided Setup Guide for hostname, package mirrors, environment variables, and tools • SSH key management and config editing Great for: • Mobile development and quick fixes on the go • Remote maintenance over SSH • Running AI coding CLI sessions away from your laptop • Learning Linux and the command line Notes: All app features require an active ViSH subscription after the 7-day free trial. Some Linux features are limited by the iOS sandbox. Third-party tools such as Claude Code and Codex also require your own account or API key with those services, which may involve a separate paid plan purchased outside ViSH. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://vishapp.dev/privacy

Shellby is a modern, native SSH client for iPhone, iPad, and Mac — one app, one experience across all your Apple devices. It does more than connect: a built-in AI agent turns plain-language ops tasks into commands you approve one by one, Mosh-compatible transport keeps sessions alive across network changes, and on Mac your AI coding tools reach your servers read-only, fully audited. Built for developers, sysadmins, and anyone who manages remote servers. No account, no tracking. AI ASSISTANT & AGENT (BRING YOUR OWN KEY) • Describe an ops task in plain language — the agent plans and runs it step by step • Every command passes an approval gate; destructive ones need explicit confirmation — nothing runs behind your back • Customizable allow/deny lists; approve & allowlist in one tap • Standard chat-completion APIs, so you pick the service — DeepSeek, Kimi, GLM, Qwen, or a local Ollama model • Off by default; bring your own key and endpoint — no AI service is built in EXTERNAL AGENTS — MCP (macOS) • Let claude-code, codex, and other MCP clients use hosts you already configured — no passwords, keys, or jump-host setup handed over • Read-only: list hosts, run read-only commands, read files, fetch metrics; mutating commands are refused with a reason • Loopback only, token-checked per request, token in the Keychain, every call audited • Runs only while Shellby is open — no background daemon MOSH-COMPATIBLE CONNECTIONS • Switch Wi-Fi to cellular, roam, ride through a tunnel — the session survives and resumes instantly • Typing stays responsive even on slow, high-latency links • Connection test detects a missing mosh-server and gives install steps for your distro TERMINAL • Fast, standards-compliant terminal (xterm-256color) • Password and SSH key authentication (Ed25519 / RSA / OpenSSH) • On-screen key bar: Esc, Tab, Ctrl combos, arrows, symbols • Full hardware-keyboard mapping on iPad and Mac • Terminal themes and font size • Scrollback buffer up to 50,000 lines SNIPPETS & COMMAND TOOLBAR • Save commands you use daily; run, insert, or copy them from a toolbar above the terminal • Shell syntax highlighting and line numbers; review before running DESKTOP-CLASS ON MAC & iPAD • Three-column layout: hosts, sessions, and content each in place • Multiple windows and session tabs, with live terminal previews • Split view, and command broadcast — type once, send to many sessions • Native menu bar, shortcuts, and window toolbar on Mac FILES (SFTP) • Browse, upload, download, rename, move, delete, create folders • One transfer queue both ways — progress, resume, choice of destination • Drag & drop on Mac; notification when background transfers finish • Integrates with the Files app PORT FORWARDING & TUNNELS • Local (-L), remote (-R), and dynamic SOCKS5 (-D) forwarding • Jump hosts / ProxyJump (-J) with multi-hop chains • Standalone tunnels that stay up and auto-reconnect, with live bandwidth • For reaching services inside your own server network (databases, internal dashboards) — not for bypassing network restrictions SERVER MONITOR • Live CPU, memory, swap, disk, load, and top processes SYNC — YOUR DATA, YOUR STORAGE • Optional iCloud sync of hosts, groups, and rules (CloudKit); passwords and keys only via the end-to-end-encrypted iCloud Keychain • Or bring your own storage: hosts, keys, snippets, AI settings & chats via any WebDAV or S3-compatible service you control • Pair a new device by scanning a QR code SECURITY & PRIVACY • Credentials stored only in the device Keychain — never in plaintext • Host fingerprint verification (TOFU), with a strong warning if one ever changes • Face ID / Touch ID app lock • No account, no tracking, no data collection You bring your own SSH servers; Shellby connects only to machines you own or are authorized to access. Languages: English, 简体中文, 繁體中文. Privacy Policy: https://shellby.app.mahui.me/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/