Show HN: Termius (YC W19) – Share your terminal session like Google Docs

Hi everybody, I’m Roman from Termius (YC W19, HN launch https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20118727). I want to share news about a new exciting feature that we wanted to build for a long time. It’s Terminal Sharing. Terminal Sharing enables engineers to get instant help from their colleagues by providing a link to their terminal output updated in real-time. There is also a mode where the viewer can enter commands from their end.

When I was getting into programming, some of my biggest problems were: compilation errors or not being able to set up something on a Linux server. One of the ways to get help in such a case is to ask a friend or colleague who has done it before. One more thing, we all remember times (before the pandemic) when teammates could come to your table and check out where you got stuck and often it’s in a terminal window. Unfortunately,it’s often impossible in the post-COVID era when most of the teams work remotely

Of course, there is always a way of using a multiplexor like tmux, byobu or screen. However, it’s a bit annoying because you have to deal with access like adding keys or passwords. Then you have to communicate back and forth to see if the person is there. You also need to remember to start those tools before you end up with an issue. And finally, you need to remember to remove the access later. The whole thing is even harder on Windows with Putty. Alternatively, you can use zoom and screen sharing, but it requires dealing with control over the keyboard input, which is quite cumbersome.

This is why we built Terminal Sharing in Termius (https://termius.com/windows). If you need help from your friend or colleague, then you can create a live session in just a second. You get a unique link to sharein just two clicks. Terminal Sharing is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, no mobile support yet. You and the viewers need only to have the free version of Termius to use basic Terminal Sharing features. We like the idea of giving this feature for free to spread the word about the product and build more advanced, paid, collaboration features for teams later.

In terms of the technical implementation, Terminal Sharing uses WebRTC under the hood, and it tries to establish a peer-to-peer connection when possible. WebRTC uses TLS 1.2, which encrypts the traffic.

Check it out here: https://termius.com/windows. We’re still testing usability and viability of this feature, so any feedback is welcome. The feature is free, but it requires an account (no subscription required!). Please share your feedback in the comments!