IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

JuiceSSH – Give me my pro features back

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. JuiceSSH is in crisis – users are losing features and support

“Cloud sync seems busted, so not really.” – muppetman
“I see now that Cloud Sync isn’t a thing anymore.” – muppetman
“The app asked me to pay so I bought it again. It instantly locked me out of the whole app.” – tiagod

The app’s paid tier has stopped working, the cloud‑key backup vanished, and the devs are unresponsive. Many users feel they’ve been “rug‑pulled” and are scrambling for refunds or alternatives.

2. Termux (and other terminal apps) is the community’s go‑to replacement

“Termux absolutely rules and makes the dream of a cyberdeck actually viable.” – epiccoleman
“I use Termux for homelab stuff at least once a week.” – epiccoleman
“Termux is doing a container. The android terminal is doing a virtual machine.” – cogman10

Termux offers a lightweight, fully‑featured Linux environment, free of cloud sync, and is praised for its flexibility, keyboard support, and active F‑Droid maintenance.

3. SSH key security matters – don’t back them up in the cloud

“Private keys should never leave the device where they are created.” – graemep
“You should encrypt your ssh keys anyway, and you should encrypt anything sensitive you are backing up to a cloud.” – graemep
“Instead, should you need a backup, you should create a distinct key for that purpose.” – Tuna‑Fish

The discussion stresses that cloud‑stored keys are a security risk and recommends using separate backup keys, hardware tokens, or encrypted local storage.

4. Android’s built‑in terminal/VM is flaky and hardware‑dependent

“It is extremely flaky on GrapheneOS, at least on my Pixel 8 Pro.” – fmajid
“The kernel it boots into is really stripped down, and it lacks a ton of essential features.” – Denatonium
“It probably won’t work on most phones because Qualcomm doesn’t allow unsecure VMs.” – pKVM discussion

Users report crashes, limited functionality, and that the Debian VM only works on certain SoCs, making it a less reliable choice than Termux for most Android users.

🚀 Project Ideas

OpenSSH Mobile

Summary

  • A free, open‑source Android SSH client that replaces JuiceSSH, offering a clean GUI, Mosh support, port‑forwarding UI, and end‑to‑end encrypted cloud sync of keys and connection profiles.
  • Core value: reliable, feature‑rich SSH experience without the broken cloud backend or hidden costs.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Android users who need a stable SSH client with key management and cross‑device sync.
Core Feature GUI‑based SSH client with Mosh, port forwarding, keep‑alive settings, and encrypted cloud sync.
Tech Stack Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, libssh2, WebSocket for sync, OpenPGP for encryption.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Users complained: “Cloud sync is busted” and “Pro features stopped working.” This app solves that with a self‑hosted or user‑controlled sync.
  • “I need a one‑click access to my servers” – the UI provides quick‑launch tiles.
  • The open‑source nature invites community fixes and avoids future rug‑pulls.

Termux Companion

Summary

  • A lightweight companion app that augments Termux with a full‑featured keyboard, alias manager, SSH config editor, and local encrypted backup via Git or local network.
  • Core value: makes Termux more user‑friendly while keeping its power and flexibility.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Termux users who want better keyboard ergonomics and easier config management.
Core Feature Overlay keyboard, alias/shortcut editor, .ssh config GUI, local encrypted Git sync.
Tech Stack Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, libtermux, JGit, BouncyCastle for encryption.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • “Keyboard is a pain” – the overlay provides arrow keys, Ctrl, Alt, etc. without leaving Termux.
  • “I want to sync my .ssh config” – the Git integration keeps configs in sync across devices.
  • “Termux is great but missing GUI” – this app adds just enough UI without bloating the experience.

Proot Desktop

Summary

  • A user‑space Linux desktop on Android using proot‑distro, with Wayland GPU acceleration, stable terminal, and a simple UI to launch apps and sync config via Git.
  • Core value: gives Android a true Linux desktop experience without requiring nested virtualization support.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Android users who want a full Linux desktop but cannot run a VM.
Core Feature Proot‑based distro, Wayland display, terminal emulator, app launcher, Git‑based config sync.
Tech Stack proot‑distro, Wayland, VNC, Kotlin UI, JGit.
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue‑ready: one‑time license or optional donation.

Notes

  • “Android terminal VM is flaky” – this uses proot, avoiding the VM’s instability.
  • “Need GPU acceleration” – Wayland + virgl support gives decent graphics.
  • “Want to sync my environment” – Git sync keeps dotfiles and app configs consistent.

KeyVault

Summary

  • A standalone SSH key vault that encrypts private keys, supports YubiKey/TLS‑auth, offers automatic key rotation, and exposes a local ssh‑agent for other clients.
  • Core value: secure, portable key management that solves the “no backup” pain point.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Power users needing secure key storage and cross‑device access.
Core Feature Encrypted key storage, YubiKey integration, key rotation, local ssh‑agent, web UI.
Tech Stack Rust (backend), React Native (mobile UI), libssh, YubiKey SDK, SQLite.
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue‑ready: subscription for premium features (e.g., cloud sync).

Notes

  • “Private keys should never leave the device” – the vault keeps keys encrypted locally and only exposes them via ssh‑agent.
  • “Need backup for all devices” – YubiKey can act as a cold backup; the app can generate a backup key for emergency use.
  • “Want to rotate keys regularly” – the UI schedules rotations and notifies the user.

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