Built a SSH client that uses 1/10th RAM of Electron apps (Rust + Tauri v2)
I built Termiaxial - a SSH/SFTP client that replaces Termius, PuTTY, and WinSCP with a single, fast, and secure application.
## Why?
I was frustrated with existing SSH clients:
- Electron apps (Termius, Royal TSX) eat 200MB+ RAM
- Slow startup times (5s+)
- Heavy CPU usage even when idle
- Proprietary software (can't audit code)
- Expensive licensing ($100+/year)
## The Solution: Rust + Tauri v2
Tauri v2 uses the OS's native webview instead of bundling Chromium. Combined with Rust backend, this achieves:
- 50MB idle RAM (vs 200MB+ for Electron apps)
- <1.5s startup (vs 5s+ for competitors)
- Native performance with React + TypeScript frontend
- Fully open source (MIT license)
## Tech Stack
```
Framework: Tauri v2
Frontend: React 18 + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS
Backend: Rust (russh, tokio)
Terminal: Xterm.js v5
Crypto: ring (AES-GCM-256) + argon2
Database: SQLite
```
## Features
### Core
- ✅ SSH authentication (password + private key: RSA, ED25519)
- ✅ Full terminal emulator (Xterm.js, 256 colors, 5000-line scrollback)
- ✅ SFTP file explorer with drag-drop upload/download
- ✅ Multi-tab sessions with auto-reconnect
### Security
- ✅ Master Password with Argon2id hashing
- ✅ AES-GCM-256 encrypted credential vault
- ✅ Local SQLite storage (no cloud by default)
### AI & Productivity
- ✅ AI Assistant (OpenAI, Ollama, Anthropic)
- ✅ Terminal analysis with Ctrl+Space shortcut
## Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Termiaxial | Termius | PuTTY |
|----------------|-----------|----------|-------|
| Idle RAM | 50MB | 200MB+ | 30MB |
| Startup Time | 1.5s | 5s+ | 0.3s |
| CPU Usage | <1% | 3-5% | <1% |
| Bundle Size | 8MB | 120MB+ | 1MB |
## Current Status
Repository is 85% ready for open source launch:
- ✅ 7 GitHub Actions workflows (CI/CD, Security, Release)
- ✅ Multi-platform builds (macOS Intel/ARM, Linux AMD64/ARM64)
- ✅ Comprehensive documentation
- ✅ Professional templates for issues/PRs
## Roadmap
- v1.5: SSH Tunneling + Snippet Manager
- v2.0: Session Recording + Cloud Sync
- v2.5: Team Collaboration + Enterprise features
## GitHub
⭐ Star if you like the project
🍴 Fork if you want to contribute
🐛 Report issues on GitHub
## For Rust Developers
This project showcases:
- Tauri v2 for cross-platform desktop apps
- Rust + React integration
- AES-GCM-256 encryption with `ring`
- SSH implementation with `russh`
- SQLite with `rusqlite`
- AI integration with OpenAI/Ollama/Anthropic
Would love to get feedback from the Rust community! Especially interested in:
- Performance optimizations
- Security improvements
- Feature suggestions
- Architecture feedback
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Built with ❤️ by developers, for developers.
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