# ttyd — Share Your Terminal over the Web

> ttyd is a lightweight tool that turns a terminal session into a web application, allowing browser-based access to any command-line program.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# ttyd — Share Your Terminal over the Web

## Quick Use
```bash
brew install ttyd
ttyd bash
# Open http://localhost:7681 in your browser
```

## Introduction
ttyd exposes a terminal session as a web page, letting anyone with a browser interact with a command-line program running on a remote machine. It is useful for sharing shells, running interactive tools in kiosk mode, or building browser-based terminal interfaces.

## What ttyd Does
- Serves any terminal program (bash, htop, vim, etc.) via a web browser
- Uses WebSocket for low-latency bidirectional communication
- Supports multiple concurrent client connections
- Provides read-only mode for safe observation without input
- Works with SSL/TLS for encrypted sessions

## Architecture Overview
ttyd is written in C and uses libwebsockets for the WebSocket server and xterm.js for the browser-side terminal emulator. When a client connects, ttyd spawns a new pseudo-terminal (pty) running the specified command and bridges I/O between the pty and the WebSocket. The binary is small and has minimal runtime dependencies.

## Self-Hosting & Configuration
- Install via Homebrew, apt, or download a static binary from Releases
- Run `ttyd <command>` to start the server on port 7681
- Use `-p` to change the listening port and `-i` to bind to a specific interface
- Enable TLS with `--ssl-cert` and `--ssl-key` for production deployments
- Add basic authentication with `-c username:password`

## Key Features
- Sub-megabyte static binary that compiles on Linux, macOS, and FreeBSD
- Full terminal emulation in the browser via xterm.js, including 256-color and Unicode
- Read-only mode (`-R`) for safe live-streaming of terminal output
- Client-side URL arguments to set terminal size, font, and theme
- Can run behind a reverse proxy (Nginx, Caddy) with WebSocket pass-through

## Comparison with Similar Tools
- **sshx** — collaborative terminal sharing with multiplayer cursors; ttyd is a simpler one-command web terminal
- **Gotty** — similar concept but unmaintained since 2017; ttyd is actively developed
- **Wetty** — Node.js-based web terminal tied to SSH; ttyd is a lightweight C binary serving any command
- **Shellinabox** — legacy web terminal; ttyd offers modern xterm.js rendering and WebSocket transport

## FAQ
**Q: Can multiple users connect at the same time?**
A: Yes. Each connection gets its own pty by default. Use `--once` to limit to a single session.

**Q: Is it safe to expose ttyd to the internet?**
A: Use TLS and authentication at minimum. For public use, place it behind a reverse proxy with additional access controls.

**Q: Does it support copy and paste?**
A: Yes. The xterm.js frontend supports clipboard integration in modern browsers.

**Q: Can I customize the web UI appearance?**
A: Yes. Pass xterm.js options via URL query parameters or use a custom index.html with `--base-path`.

## Sources
- https://github.com/tsl0922/ttyd
- https://tsl0922.github.io/ttyd

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/asset-134a2cb4
Author: AI Open Source