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Documentation Current: Hosts and credentials

Documentation / Everyday use / Hosts and credentials

EVERYDAY · HOSTS

Manage hosts and credentials.

A Host defines where and as whom to connect. Credentials prove access without being sent to the Astra website or a developer-operated cloud service.

Host model

FieldPurpose
Connection typeChoose Astra for astrad; choose SSH only for a regular SSH server
NameIdentification and sorting on your device
Address and portA hostname/IP reachable from this device and the Astra UDP port, without a URL scheme
UsernameThe daemon's Unix user in Rootless mode; the target system account in Managed mode
KeyAn OpenSSH-format Ed25519 or RSA private key for challenge-response authentication

Astra Hosts and standalone SSH/SFTP Hosts are distinct connection modes. SSH/SFTP is not an automatic fallback when the Astra protocol fails.

Credential storage

You do not need to generate a key in Terminal first. Key Management can create an Ed25519 key and Copy Public Key lets you add its public half to the server. You can also import an existing unencrypted OpenSSH Ed25519 or RSA private key. Host settings and private keys are stored in the system Keychain. If iCloud Keychain is enabled, Apple's end-to-end encryption can sync them to your devices. The website never receives them.

Host trust

Verify the certificate fingerprint through a trusted channel on first connection. If a trusted host's certificate changes, confirm whether the server was reinstalled or its certificate was intentionally rotated before updating the record.