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SSH client: a terminal on another machine (#2)
The SSH App opens one session to a shell, over libssh (LibSSH-ESP32 5.10.0)
on mbedTLS. A server is trusted the first time on its fingerprint, and a
changed key is a warning with Cancel selected. The password is typed each
time and kept nowhere; or the device makes itself an Ed25519 key, whose
public half is shown, written to /ssh/id_ed25519.pub and printed by
`ssh status`.

lib/term is the terminal: what a shell, less, top, nano and vim send, with
sixteen colours, scroll regions, the alternate screen and 100 lines of
scrollback. Five text sizes with Ctrl and + or -, from 60x20 to 26x8, told
to the far end. The session goes on when the App is left; SSH shows in the
Status Bar. `ssh user@host` in the Shell opens the App.

Also:
- Keys that aren't characters carry Shift, Ctrl and Alt. The terminal needs
  it, and it makes Ctrl+Fn+up/down in a note and Shift+Tab in Gemini work
  from the real keyboard.
- IRC doesn't try to connect under 60 KB free: started with a session open,
  its TLS handshake took the heap down to 236 bytes.
- libssh's own curve25519 is left out of the build (scripts/libssh_filter.py):
  libsodium's has the same names.

Costs 292 KB of flash and about 50 KB of heap while a session is open; not
started under 75 KB free.

Docs: guide page, how-to, FAQ, home page, Status Bar, SD card folders, the
memory how-to, README, glossary, N1 notes with Q254 to Q266 and the checks.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01EhqxQ49eCju4CzKYNjZzwT
2026-10-08 04:38:36 +02:00

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Markdown

+++
title = "The basics"
description = "The keys, the Launcher, the Status Bar and what happens the first time you switch the device on."
weight = 1
[extra]
tag = "Start here"
screens = ["help.png"]
+++
## One key to remember
**<kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>h</kbd>, on any screen, lists the keys that work there.** No screen names its keys: that key does. It works everywhere, in a text field too, and <kbd>?</kbd> does the same whenever you are not typing. The arrows scroll the list; any other key closes it.
The list is for *the screen you are on*: in Storage it is the file keys, in a dialog it is the dialog's, in a text field it is the editing keys. Each list ends with the keys that work everywhere.
If you only read one paragraph of this guide, this was it.
## The keys
The Cardputer's keyboard has no arrow keys and no Escape, so the firmware gives a few keys a second job:
| Key | Does |
|---|---|
| <kbd>Enter</kbd> | Opens or confirms the selected item |
| <kbd>`</kbd> | **Back**: one step out of a screen, and out of an App |
| <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>`</kbd> | **Home**: back to the Launcher |
| <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>;</kbd> <kbd>.</kbd> <kbd>,</kbd> <kbd>/</kbd> | The arrows: up, down, left, right |
| <kbd>;</kbd> <kbd>.</kbd> <kbd>,</kbd> <kbd>/</kbd> alone | The same arrows, as long as you are **not** typing text |
| <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>h</kbd>, or <kbd>?</kbd> when not typing | **Help:** the keys of the screen you are on |
| <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>p</kbd> | **A screenshot:** the screen as it is, saved as a picture in `/screenshots` on the SD card |
| <kbd>Tab</kbd> | Switches view in an App that has more than one |
| <kbd>Del</kbd> | Deletes backwards when you type |
| <kbd>opt</kbd> then an accent, then a letter | Types an accented letter: <kbd>opt</kbd> <kbd>'</kbd> <kbd>e</kbd> gives é |
While you type text (a note, an IRC line, a setting), `;` `.` `,` `/` type their own characters and you need <kbd>Fn</kbd> for the arrows. The Status Bar shows `opt` while a compose is waiting for its letter.
## The Launcher
The home screen lists the Apps. Move with the arrows, open one with <kbd>Enter</kbd>. Back inside an App returns here.
## The Status Bar
A strip at the top of every screen: the name of the App on the left, and on the right, from the edge inwards:
| Shows | Means |
|---|---|
| the time | The clock, once Wi-Fi or a GNSS fix has set it |
| `[3]` | Unread IRC messages that mention you, or private ones |
| `97%` | The battery (in the warning colour at 15% and under) |
| `SD` | A card is in; the warning colour at 80% full |
| bars and `W` | Wi-Fi connected, with its signal; `W?` is searching; `MON` is the Wi-Fi radio in its monitoring mode, which pauses IRC |
| `SSH` | An [SSH session](/guide/ssh/) is open, whatever App is in front |
| `VPN` | The [WireGuard tunnel](/guide/vpn/) is wanted; brighter once the server has answered |
| `DBG` | The Debug Console is switched on (Settings → Debug Console); brighter while a PC is connected to it |
| `REC` | A GNSS Track is being recorded |
| `CAP` | A LoRa capture is being recorded |
| `L` | The radio is listening; it lights up for a moment on each packet. `SW` while a Sweep runs |
| `G` or `G12` | The GNSS receiver is searching (`G`, dim), has a 2D fix (`G`), or has a 3D fix with that many satellites (`G12`) |
## Toasts
News from a background service (an IRC mention, a Storage warning, an update that is out) shows as a short message over whatever App is open, and can beep and flash the LED. **Sound & LED** in Settings turns that off.
## The first start
On a new device a short Setup asks four things, then never appears again. It also tells you about <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>h</kbd>, twice, and it is the only part of the firmware that names keys on the screen:
1. **Long name**, up to 39 bytes.
2. **Short name**, up to 4 characters.
3. **Radio region.** Nothing will transmit until you confirm yours. EU868 is the supported region.
4. **Timezone.**
## The SD card
Put a microSD card in the Cardputer. Without one the radio, GNSS, Wi-Fi and IRC still work, but nothing can be saved: no notes, IRC logs, Wi-Fi scan logs, GPX tracks, LoRa captures, screenshots or saved Gemini pages. The [Storage App](/guide/storage/) shows what is on the card.
The firmware keeps its own folders at the top of the card (`captures`, `gemini`, `gnss`, `irc`, `notes`, `screenshots`, `updates`, `wifi`). You can use the card in a computer too, but those names are the firmware's.
## The keys, as the device lists them
What <kbd>Fn</kbd> + <kbd>h</kbd> shows on these screens. These tables are generated from the firmware's own lists, so they are always the current ones.
{{ keys(scopes=["launcher", "everywhere", "dialog", "text"]) }}