ssheven

A modern SSH client for Mac OS 7/8/9.

Project status: as of 0.8.0 (see github releases), a functional (but not completely secure) SSH client with color terminal emulation, able to login via key or password. See roadmap below for upcoming work (i.e., things that aren't done yet).

system requirements

• CPU: Any PPC processor, or at least a 25 MHz 68040/68LC040. Presently, all 68030 and 68020 CPUs are too slow.
• RAM: 2MB.
• Disk space: 1MB for the fat binary.
• System 7.5 or later, earlier System 7 versions might be possible with the Thread Manager extension installed.
• Open Transport networking required, version 1.1.1 or later recommended.

feature/bug-fix roadmap

0.9.0

• clean up libssh2 network ops (write fn, read safety, don't allow send until connected, quit while connected mess)
• clean up/update versions of libssh and mbedtls (get as close to mainline as possible, revert unecessary changes)
• clean up preferences loading/saving, include key stuff, known_hosts reset option
• build/packaging scripts
• general ssheven code cleanup
• text selection + copy

1.0.0 (first "real" release)

• improve RNG
• nicer error presentation for more failure cases
• read Apple HIG and obsessively optimize placement of all GUI elements
• license info in an about box type thing
• finish and upload papercraft box, floppy sticker artwork, icon/logo svg

known bugs

• initial key exchange is too slow for 68030 and 68020 systems (improve mbedtls_mpi_exp_mod and maybe the assembly BN code?)
• input latency feels high? related to draw speed/frequency? (maybe try to use an "offscreen graphics world" framebuffer? big refactor)
• receiving a large amount of data breaks the channel (e.g. cat /dev/zero)
• preference file loading has issues, especially with the key paths
• hook scrolling into vterm to reduce redraws/blanking

possible upcoming features

• font face and size options
• scp file transfer
• more complete color support (will need to use color quickdraw, currently uses an 8-color hack for traditional quickdraw)
• keyboard-interactive authentication

build

Uses Retro68 and cmake.

Requires mbedtls, libssh2, and libvterm, see my (cy384's) ports of those libraries for details. Note that you need to build/install each for both platforms (m68k and PPC).

• mkdir build && cd build
• cmake .. -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=/your/path/to/Retro68-build/toolchain/powerpc-apple-macos/cmake/retroppc.toolchain.cmake or cmake .. -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=/your/path/to/Retro68-build/toolchain/m68k-apple-macos/cmake/retro68.toolchain.cmake
• make

Use Rez to build the fat binary: join the data fork from the PPC version and the resource fork from the m68k version.

I have some build scripts that I'll clean up and publish with the 1.0.0 release.

note to self: binary resources can be extracted in MPW via: DeRez "Macintosh HD:whatever" -skip "'CODE'" -skip "'DATA'" -skip "'RELA'" -skip "'SIZE'" etc., this is especially useful for icons

license

Licensed under the BSD 2 clause license, see LICENSE file.