SheepTerm


SheepTerm — Free Download. Terminal Client

SheepTerm is a native terminal client built for network engineers working on macOS and Windows systems. The program brings SSH connections, serial console access and local shell sessions together inside a single application window. Tabs and split panes keep several sessions visible at once, while saved hosts and groups remove the need to retype connection details. Output from switches, routers and firewalls is scanned and highlighted per vendor, so interfaces, VLANs, IP addresses, masks, MAC addresses and counters stand out from surrounding text. Session logging, log search, CSV host import, jump hosts and safe multi-line paste round out the toolkit. Optional Google sign-in synchronises hosts and settings through a personal Google Drive, encrypted with a passphrase chosen by the operator.

★★★★★
5.0(1 ratings)
File size: 29.2 MB
The latest version of SheepTerm is: 0.1-5
Operating system: Windows, Mac OS
Languages: English
Price: $0.00 USD (Open Source (MIT))

What’s new in SheepTerm

  1. Added a "Don't log this session" option for each host, available in New SSH Connection, New Serial Console, Add / Edit Host, and Add Hosts
  2. This setting syncs with SheepTerm for Mac
  3. Menus now size themselves to their content instead of stretching extra wide
Full update details →
  • SSH client. SheepTerm includes a full SSH client that handles interactive login to remote network devices and servers. It manages key exchange, cipher negotiation and session channels, then passes the resulting stream into the terminal emulator for rendering. Saved host entries store address, port, username and authentication method, so repeat connections need no manual input.
  • Serial console support. The application connects to devices through serial ports, which matters for switches, routers and firewalls that are reachable only over a console cable. Line speed, data bits, parity and stop bits are configurable per connection profile. Serial sessions appear in the same tab and pane layout as SSH sessions, so an engineer can keep a console session and a remote session side by side.
  • Local shell sessions. A local shell can be opened inside the same window as network sessions. This gives access to command line tools on the workstation without switching to a separate terminal program. The shell runs in a tab or split pane and shares the same emulator behaviour, key bindings and copy handling as the remote sessions.
  • Vendor-aware highlighting. Output produced by network devices is parsed and coloured according to the device family. Interface names, VLAN identifiers, IP addresses, subnet masks, MAC addresses and counters receive distinct formatting. Supported families include Cisco, Aruba, Juniper, Fortinet and Check Point, among others. The highlighting reduces the time spent scanning long configuration or status dumps.
  • Saved hosts and groups. Connection details are stored in a host list that can be organised into groups. Each entry holds the address, port, credentials reference and terminal preferences. Groups make it possible to separate devices by site, role or customer. Hosts can be exported and imported, which simplifies moving a configuration between machines.
  • Split panes. The macOS build supports split panes, and the Windows build follows the same layout model. Several sessions remain visible simultaneously, arranged horizontally or vertically. This suits tasks such as comparing configurations on two devices or watching a console session while working on a remote one.
  • Session logging and log search. Every session can be written to a log file for later review. A search function scans stored logs for specific strings, which helps when tracing an event that happened during an earlier maintenance window. Logs stay on the local machine unless the operator moves them elsewhere.
  • Encrypted sync through Google Drive. Optional Google sign-in enables synchronisation of hosts and settings. Data is written to the operator's own Google Drive and encrypted with a passphrase before upload. The encryption is end-to-end, so the stored files remain unreadable without the passphrase.
  • CSV host import. Host lists maintained in spreadsheets can be imported from CSV files. Columns map to address, port, username and group fields. This removes manual entry when onboarding a large set of devices.
  • Jump hosts. Connections can be routed through an intermediate jump host. The jump host is configured per entry or per group and is used when target devices are not directly reachable. Authentication for the jump host is handled separately from the target device credentials.
  • Safe multi-line paste. Pasted text containing multiple lines is processed before it reaches the device. The application controls how line breaks are delivered, which prevents configuration fragments from being applied in an unintended order. This behaviour matters when working with devices that react to each line immediately.
  • Portable Windows build. The Windows version ships as a portable archive. All stored data, including hosts, settings, snippets, known_hosts, session logs and the encrypted password vault, lives in a Data folder beside the executable. Nothing is written to the registry or the user profile directory. Updates are downloaded by the application, verified against an Ed25519 signature and applied without touching the Data folder.
  • Passphrase-protected vault. Passwords are never stored in clear text. The vault that holds credentials requires the operator's passphrase before entries can be read. This applies to the local store and to synchronised data.
  • Group export and import. Host groups can be exported for sharing with colleagues. Credentials are excluded from the exported file, so a group can be handed over without exposing authentication material.

SheepTerm was created by the developer known as bestonehxh. The project started as a macOS application and later gained a Windows sibling that shares the same terminal emulator and SSH client code. Development began in the mid-2020s, with the first public builds appearing in 2025. The macOS version requires Apple Silicon hardware and macOS 26.4 or later; the macOS build is not notarised, so first launch requires a manual confirmation step. The Windows version runs on Windows 10 and Windows 11, 64-bit. The program is written in Swift, which accounts for the shared codebase between the two platforms and for the inclusion of the Swift runtime and Foundation libraries in the Windows distribution. Third-party components bundled with the Windows release include the Inter and JetBrains Mono fonts under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, Lucide icons under the ISC License, and swift-crypto with swift-asn1 under the Apache License 2.0.

Alternatives to SheepTerm

Latest Programs