SSH2incus web ssh console

Incus
1

The ssh2incus project is excited to announce the release of v0.9, a major milestone that introduces a web-based ssh access to Incus instances.

Overview

SSH2Incus v0.9 transforms how developers and admins interact with Incus by introducing a sleek, intuitive web dashboard alongside the existing command-line interface. This release brings professional-grade instance management capabilities to the browser without sacrificing the power and flexibility that command-line users expect.

Modern Web Dashboard

The new web interface provides a responsive, dark-mode-enabled dashboard for managing Incus instances and access terminal with optional session persistence using tmux or screen.

ssh2incus-main
ssh2incus-main1252×957 125 KB

Web-Based Terminal

Access instance shells directly from the browser with the new terminal emulation:

  • xterm.js integration for full terminal support
  • Persistent sessions using tmux/screen
  • Terminal resizing and interactive command support
  • Real-time updates via WebSocket connection
  • Automatic package installation for tmux/screen

ssh2incus-reconnect
ssh2incus-reconnect816×472 32.3 KB

ssh2incus-tmux
ssh2incus-tmux1023×603 73.4 KB

Instance Creation Wizard

Creating new instances is now as easy as filling out a form. The new 4-step wizard guides users through every configuration option without requiring command-line syntax:

Step 1: Basic Configuration

  • Instance name and project selection
  • Automatic name uniqueness validation
  • Profile selection with merging
  • Image selection with searchable dropdown
  • Resource allocation (CPU, Memory, Disk)
  • Ephemeral toggle

ssh2incus-step1
ssh2incus-step1683×945 52.1 KB

Step 2: Advanced Settings

  • Configuration key-value pairs (e.g., security.privileged: true)
  • Specialized device editors:
    • Proxy devices with TCP/UDP/Unix socket support and NAT mode
    • Disk devices for mounting volumes and directories
    • Generic devices for other device types
  • Device name conflict detection
  • Real-time validation with helpful error messages

ssh2incus-step2-config
ssh2incus-step2-config692×848 46.5 KB

ssh2incus-step2-proxy
ssh2incus-step2-proxy692×962 51.4 KB

ssh2incus-step2-disk
ssh2incus-step2-disk685×953 49.7 KB

Step 3: Cloud-Init Configuration

  • Code editor with syntax highlighting
  • Support for YAML cloud-config and shell scripts
  • Auto-detection of bash script via shebang
  • Smart warning: Alerts users when selected image doesn’t support cloud-init
  • Preloaded cloud-init data from selected profile

ssh2incus-step3-cloud-init
ssh2incus-step3-cloud-init690×648 64.1 KB

Step 4: Review & Create

  • Complete configuration summary before creation
  • Applied profiles

ssh2incus-step4-summary
ssh2incus-step4-summary684×891 47.5 KB

Download from GitHub

Community Feedback

Your feedback is valuable! Please share it via our community board:

  • :bullseye: Feature requests for additional functionality
  • :bug: Bug reports with reproduction steps
  • :light_bulb: Ideas for improving the user experience
  • :e_mail: Comments on the new profile merging behavior
6 Likes
2

This looks like a really nice idea. I like the approach of not needing to run an SSH server inside every container or VM and instead handling access from the Incus host itself. That alone can simplify a lot of setups, especially when you’re managing many instances.

The web-based SSH console is a cool addition too. Being able to jump into a container from the browser without extra tooling feels very practical for day-to-day admin work, testing, or quick checks. It also makes Incus feel more accessible for people who don’t want to rely entirely on CLI workflows.

From a security perspective, it does seem important to be careful about how the web UI is exposed. Putting it behind a reverse proxy with proper TLS and auth would definitely be a must if it’s reachable from outside your LAN — similar to how you’d lock things down before routing traffic through external services.

Overall, this feels like a solid evolution of the old ssh2lxd idea, adapted well for Incus. Curious to see how people end up using it long-term and whether it becomes part of more standard Incus setups.