Troubleshooting and FAQ
Answers to the problems people run into most often with SecureShell Go.
Connecting
The connection fails or times out
The Could not connect message says why, and offers Try again and Edit host. Check, in order:
- The Host and Port are right. SSH is usually on port
22, but some servers use another. - Your device can reach the server. A home server is often only reachable on your home network, not over mobile data.
- The server's SSH service is running and its firewall allows your connection.
The password is refused
Check the Username first: it is case-sensitive. Some servers turn password sign-in off and accept only keys; see Use SSH keys. Servers that ask for a one-time code (two-factor sign-in) are supported: the app shows the server's prompt.
It says No saved credentials for this host
The saved password or key could not be read from secure storage, for example after restoring a backup without passwords. Choose Edit host and enter the password or key again.
An old router or NAS will not connect
Older devices sometimes only speak algorithms that modern SSH considers weak. The connection error says when a host needs them. Edit the host, open Advanced and turn on Allow legacy algorithms. It applies to that host only.
Host keys
The app says Host key has CHANGED
Do not continue until you know why. Read When the host key changes and follow its steps.
Every server asks me to verify its key again
On Linux, this happens when the system keyring could not be read, so trusted keys cannot be checked for this session. Unlock your keyring (GNOME Keyring or KWallet) and restart the app. Snap users need to run sudo snap connect secureshellgo:password-manager-service once.
If the app says your saved server keys could not be confirmed on this device, compare each fingerprint once more as for a first connection. It keeps the old file aside.
Linux
Saving a password fails with a prompt to unlock the keyring
The keyring is locked. Unlock it (often by signing in again, or through your desktop's passwords app) and save again. The app will not fall back to storing the password less safely. See Saving passwords and keys on Linux.
Sessions
The terminal opened over SSH instead of Mosh
A host set to Mosh falls back to SSH, with one line saying why, when mosh-server is not installed on the server, the server has no UTF-8 locale, or a firewall blocks UDP ports 60000 to 61000.
My session ended when I left the app
On Android, SecureShell Go keeps sessions connected in the background with a notification and sends keep-alives every 30 seconds. If the network changes, the session reconnects in the same tab when it can. To keep a running program safe through any disconnect, turn on Keep the shell running on the server in the host's Advanced options (needs tmux or screen on the server).
Shell ended, but the connection is fine
The shell on the server exited, for example after exit. Tap Restart for a new shell in the same tab, with no new sign-in.
Files
Where did my download go?
To your device's Downloads folder. A downloaded folder goes into Downloads/ under its own name. Tap Open in Transfers to open a file straight away.
Can I get back a file I deleted on the server?
Not from SecureShell Go. Deleting through SFTP removes the file from the server for good, unless the server has its own backups.
Getting help
Report bugs and ask questions on the GitHub issues page. Turning on Keep a diagnostics log in Settings and pasting it into the report helps; passwords and keys are removed from it.