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Remote Sessions and SSH

Diagram showing how SSH presets and saved remote targets combine into a reusable remote launch flow

Liney can open remote sessions directly from a workspace, so remote shells stay connected to the same repository context as your local work.

What is reusable in this flow​

There are two different reusable layers in remote launch:

  • SSH preset: a reusable template for SSH connection fields
  • Saved remote target: a workspace-specific named host that can also remember SSH and agent preset links

This split matters because sometimes you want a quick prefilled login template, and sometimes you want a named machine that belongs to one repository.

What a remote session includes​

When you create an SSH session in Liney, you can define:

  • host
  • user
  • port
  • identity file
  • remote working directory
  • optional remote command

You can also save the connection as a reusable remote target directly from the SSH sheet.

Saved targets show up again in future SSH sheets, in the sidebar menu, and in the command palette.

The practical value​

The point is simple:

  • fill in host, user, port, identity file, and working directory ahead of time
  • reopen that setup later without typing everything again
  • when the server asks for a password, you only need to enter the password

This is the fastest path when you repeatedly connect to the same environment.

How presets and targets combine​

The usual flow is:

  1. open New SSH Session
  2. pick an SSH preset if you want to preload common connection fields
  3. pick a saved target if you want to preload a known host for this workspace
  4. adjust fields if needed
  5. optionally save the result back as a reusable target

If an SSH preset does not define a remote working directory, Liney falls back to the active worktree path for the workspace when it preloads the sheet.

Why remote targets matter​

The useful part is not only "open SSH."

The useful part is that the remote target becomes part of the workspace model:

  • each repository can keep its own remote destinations
  • the active local worktree still provides context
  • remote sessions can be reopened without rebuilding the same command line every time

This is the level to use when the question is "which machine belongs to this repo?"

Remote repository browser​

Liney also has a lightweight repository-browser mode for remote targets.

That mode opens a remote session and starts with a practical overview:

  • pwd
  • ls -la
  • git status --short --branch

Then it drops you into your login shell.

This is a good fit when you want a quick state check before doing deeper work.

Remote agent sessions​

If a remote target is paired with an agent preset, Liney can launch the agent remotely too.

That lets you keep the same idea of:

  • repository context
  • working directory
  • reusable tool launch

even when the session is not local.

  • One machine you visit often: save the SSH fields once so you do not keep retyping host, user, port, and key path.
  • Several similar servers: keep SSH presets for repeated connection parameters, then apply them to whichever saved target belongs to the repo you are working on.
  • Remote AI helper: bind an agent preset to the target so remote agent launch does not need to be rebuilt by hand.
  • connecting to a Linux host that runs the actual app or jobs
  • opening a remote shell in the same repo-specific flow as your local work
  • reusing one known-good SSH target instead of rebuilding connection fields every time
  • launching a remote agent in a prepared working directory