ttyd

Share a bash shell over the web

$ ttyd bash

$ ttyd -p [8080] bash

$ ttyd -c [username]:[password] bash

$ ttyd -R bash

$ ttyd vim [file.txt]

$ ttyd tmux new -A -s [session_name]

$ ttyd --ssl --ssl-cert [cert.pem] --ssl-key [key.pem] bash

$ ttyd -i [eth0] bash

ttyd [options] command [arguments...]

ttyd shares a terminal session over the web using WebSockets. It starts a web server (default port 7681) that serves a terminal interface accessible from any web browser. This enables remote terminal access, collaboration, and demonstrations without requiring SSH setup.
Any command can be shared, not just shells. Running ttyd vim provides a web-based vim editor. Combining with tmux allows multiple users to share the same session simultaneously.
The tool supports basic authentication via -c, SSL encryption for secure connections, and can restrict clients to read-only mode. It handles Unicode, CJK characters, and supports file transfer via ZMODEM.
ttyd works on Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and Windows.

-p, --port port

Port to listen on (default: 7681, use 0 for random)

Network interface to bind (e.g., eth0) or Unix socket path

Basic authentication credentials

User ID to run command with

Group ID to run command with

Do not allow clients to write to the TTY

Allow clients to write (readonly by default with multiple clients)

Signal to send on exit (default: 1, SIGHUP)

Enable SSL/TLS encryption

SSL certificate file path

SSL key file path

Accept only one client and exit when disconnected

Set log level (0-9, default: 7)

By default, ttyd provides no authentication; always use -c or firewall rules in production. Multiple clients connecting without tmux each get separate sessions. The default port 7681 may need firewall configuration for external access.

ttyd was created by Shuanglei Tao (tsl0922) and first released around 2016. Written in C, it uses libwebsockets for WebSocket communication and xterm.js for the browser-based terminal. The project was inspired by older tools like shellinabox but with modern web technologies.

tmux(1), screen(1), gotty(1), ssh(1)