NAME
Support — help with Aburi Term
CONTACT
Email aburitermapp@tallbottech.com.au. Aburi Term is in beta, so reports of what breaks are the most useful thing you can send.
Say which device and system version you use, the Aburi Term version, what you did and what you saw. Leave out passwords, private keys and anything from a server that is not yours to share.
GETTING STARTED
What do I need to run Aburi Term?
A Mac running macOS 26 or later, or an iPhone or iPad running iOS 26 or iPadOS 26 or later.
Is it free?
Yes, while it is in beta. We have not set a price for after the beta. If that changes, the price will be shown before you pay anything.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no Aburi Term account. Sync, if you turn it on, uses the iCloud account already on your device.
Which Mac version should I get?
If you only connect to servers, the Mac App Store version. If you also want a terminal on the Mac itself, with your own shell, Homebrew tools and git, the direct download. The Download page compares them line by line.
Can I bring my hosts from ~/.ssh/config?
Yes. The direct download reads the file for you. The App Store versions run in a sandbox, so they ask you to pick the file first.
CONNECTING
It says the host key changed. What should I do?
Stop and check before you trust it. A changed key can mean the server was rebuilt, or that something is sitting between you and the server. Ask whoever runs the server whether the key changed. If you trust it, confirm with Face ID; on a host marked production you also type the hostname. The old key is kept in the audit log.
My connection dropped. Did I lose my work?
Not if the session runs in tmux or Zellij, or over Mosh: those keep it on the server. SSH reconnects by itself, trying 5 times over about a minute. Keys you type while it is away are held, up to 4 KB, and sent when it is back.
A connection failed. How do I find out why?
Connecting has four steps: route, host key, sign-in, attach. The failure message names the step it stopped at, and the steps that passed stay green. “Route” means the server could not be reached at all; “sign-in” means it was reached but refused your key or password.
Why does the latency show a dash?
The device is offline. Aburi Term shows a dash and never a made-up 0 ms.
KEYS AND SYNC
Where are my keys kept?
In the Keychain on your device. A key you make in the Secure Enclave is held by the device’s secure chip and cannot be exported, so make one on each device and add each public key to your servers.
What does sync share, and who can read it?
The items you choose to sync, stored in your own private iCloud database. Each item is encrypted on your device with a key in your iCloud Keychain before it is sent. Apple cannot read them and neither can we.
I edited the same host on two devices.
Changes merge field by field, so most edits just combine. If the same field changed on both, Aburi Term asks which to keep. “Keep both” makes a copy named after the other device.
Why did the app lock itself?
On iPhone and iPad the vault locks after 5 minutes in the background. Unlock it with Face ID or Touch ID.
AGENTS
What do Once, This session and Always mean?
Once allows this one request. This session allows the same request until the session ends. Always allows that exact command in that exact folder from now on. Hosts marked production only offer Once.
How do I undo an “Always”?
Open Settings › Agents. Every standing rule is listed there and can be removed.
A request disappeared before I answered.
Requests expire after 10 minutes and the agent is told. Use “Ask it again” to have the agent send it back.
Return does not approve the request on my Mac.
That is deliberate, so a stray key press cannot run a command. Press ⌘↩ to allow once, or ⌘. to deny.
IPHONE AND IPAD
How do I change the extra keys above the keyboard?
Settings › Keyboard › Accessory keys, or More › Accessory keys from a session. Add, remove and reorder up to 20 keys, and choose one row, two rows or Auto.
How do I send Escape or Control-C?
Tap esc for Escape. Tap ctrl, then C: ctrl stays on for the next key. ctrl then [ also sends Escape.
The terminal text is too small.
Pinch to zoom. To have it follow your system text size, turn on Settings › Terminal › Follow text size.
SECURITY
If you find a way Aburi Term could leak a key, trust the wrong server or run something it should not, please tell us privately at aburitermapp@tallbottech.com.au and do not post it publicly first. Include the version, the device and the steps. Leave out real credentials, host names and output from systems that are not yours. We reply within 5 working days.