Skip to main content
Rosie.run Docs

Rosie SSH Troubleshooting

Fix common Rosie SSH connection, host key, SFTP, and purchase issues.

Products unavailable on the Pro screen

  • Check your network connection.
  • Make sure the App Store is available on the device.
  • Try again after signing into your Apple Account.
  • In TestFlight, make sure the build is associated with the in-app purchases in App Store Connect.

If you already bought Pro, use Restore Purchases from Settings or the paywall.

See Rosie SSH Pro and Purchases for purchase and TestFlight notes.

Connection fails immediately

Check the hostname, port, username, and authentication method. If you are on the same local network as the server, make sure the device can reach that network and that the server allows SSH from your phone or iPad.

For local IP addresses and hostnames, iOS may show a Local Network permission prompt. Allow it if you want Rosie SSH to connect to LAN servers.

Password authentication fails

  • Confirm the username and password by trying ssh username@host from another trusted client.
  • Make sure the server allows password authentication.
  • If the server uses keyboard-interactive prompts, Rosie SSH can handle password-style prompts, but not every multi-step challenge flow.

Key authentication fails

  • Confirm the public key is installed in the server account’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.
  • Make sure file permissions on the server are acceptable to OpenSSH.
  • Confirm the server accepts Ed25519 keys.
  • Re-import the private key if the original import used the wrong passphrase.

Secure Enclave keys cannot authenticate yet. See SSH Keys in Rosie SSH for supported key workflows.

Host key changed warning

Stop and verify the change before trusting it. A changed host key can be legitimate after a server rebuild or key rotation, but it can also indicate an attack.

If you know the new fingerprint is correct, trust the new key. If you are unsure, reject the prompt and contact the server administrator.

See Host Key Verification in Rosie SSH for safer fingerprint checking.

Terminal disconnects after backgrounding

iOS suspends network connections shortly after apps move to the background. Rosie SSH reconnects when possible, but the remote process may already be gone.

Use tmux or mosh on your server for long-running work. See Session Persistence in Rosie SSH.

SFTP cannot list a folder

  • Confirm the account has permission to read that folder.
  • Try the parent folder first.
  • Avoid unusual symlink loops or paths that the server does not normalize cleanly.
  • If the terminal connects but SFTP fails, the server may restrict the SFTP subsystem.

See SFTP File Browser in Rosie SSH for supported file operations.

A legacy SSH server will not connect

Rosie SSH uses modern SSH libraries and may not support obsolete algorithms such as ssh-dss or old Diffie-Hellman groups. Update the server’s SSH configuration when possible.

Still stuck?

See the FAQ, Getting Started, or contact support with:

  • Device model and iOS/iPadOS version
  • Rosie SSH version
  • Server OS and SSH server version
  • Authentication method
  • The exact error shown in Rosie SSH

Settings

Dark Mode