docs: correct Go version and remove unshipped SFTP browser claims

- README: build-from-source requires Go 1.25+ (matches go.mod), was 1.23+.
- docs/v2-report.md: the in-app SFTP file browser was never built (no `t`
  action, no xfer/sshx/browser packages, pkg/sftp not a dependency). Cut the
  false "shipped" claims and moved it into the Deferred section.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
2026-07-26 16:27:59 +10:00
parent 271a794895
commit 0ecdffbbbd
2 changed files with 29 additions and 81 deletions
+28 -80
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@@ -11,10 +11,10 @@ added and where it stands.)
interactive host picker: it reads `~/.ssh/config`, shows a clean, static,
high-contrast, low-light-friendly list, and on selection `exec`s the real system
`ssh` client into the host (so tty/ProxyJump/agent forwarding just work). It's a
single Go binary. v2 added sorting/grouping, an SSH key generator, and an in-app
SFTP file browser. Optional features include a YubiKey launch gate. App data
(recents, favourites, settings) lives under `~/.ssh/.dial/` so it syncs via the
user's existing Syncthing.
single Go binary. v2 added richer sorting/grouping and a native SSH key
generator. Optional features include a YubiKey launch gate. App data (recents,
favourites, settings) lives under `~/.ssh/.dial/` so it syncs via the user's
existing Syncthing.
## What v2 shipped
@@ -40,21 +40,6 @@ user's existing Syncthing.
duplicate an existing alias. It's a rebuild of an old `create_ssh_keypair.sh`,
fixing that script's macOS-only `sed`, key-deletion, and unquoted-append bugs.
5. **In-app SFTP file browser.** Pressing `t` on a host opens a dual-pane
browser (local left, remote right) that transfers files without leaving dial:
- Side-by-side panes, `tab` to switch, arrow/`jk` to move, `enter` to descend,
`backspace` up, `space` to batch-select.
- Directional transfers: `→`/`p` push local→remote, `←`/`g` pull remote→local,
into the other pane's current directory.
- Recursive directory transfers, aggregate progress bar, and overwrite prompts
(`[o]verwrite`/`[s]kip`/`[r]ename`, uppercase = apply to all remaining).
- **Same-session resume**: an interrupted transfer retried in the same session
resumes partial files instead of restarting.
- Connects over SFTP in-process (`pkg/sftp` + `golang.org/x/crypto/ssh`),
reusing the host's real `~/.ssh/config` (resolved via `ssh -G`), including
ProxyJump, authenticating via ssh-agent or unencrypted key files.
- When the YubiKey gate is enabled it re-challenges before opening the browser.
## Architecture (packages)
Existing v1 packages: `sshconf` (read-only config parser), `store`
@@ -63,87 +48,50 @@ Existing v1 packages: `sshconf` (read-only config parser), `store`
- `internal/keygen` — native key generation (crypto + `x/crypto/ssh`), key-file
writing with correct perms, and safe `~/.ssh/config` appends.
- `internal/xfer` — the transfer engine. A small `fs` abstraction lets push and
pull share one recursive copy routine; handles progress, conflict policy, and
resume. **Fully unit-tested against an in-memory SFTP server** (no sshd needed).
- `internal/sshx` — the connection layer. Resolves effective config via
`ssh -G <alias>`, builds the `ssh.ClientConfig` (agent + key auth, known_hosts
verification), and dials directly or through a ProxyJump chain.
- `internal/browser` — the dual-pane Bubble Tea file browser, using `xfer` for
transfers and coordinating the overwrite prompt across goroutines.
The picker's `t` key returns an `ActionSFTP` result; `main` then (re-)runs the
gate, connects via `sshx`, opens an `sftp.Client`, and runs the browser. The
default flow is now a loop: pick → connect (exec, ends) or sftp (returns to the
picker). Host *selection* stayed decoupled from the *action*, which is what let
SFTP reuse the picker cleanly.
Host *selection* stayed decoupled from the *action*, which keeps room to add new
per-host actions (e.g. the deferred SFTP browser) without disturbing the picker.
## Current state
- **Complete and green.** All packages build; `go vet` clean; unit tests pass
for `sshconf`, `store`, `yubikey`, `picker`, `keygen`, `xfer`, `sshx`.
for `sshconf`, `store`, `yubikey`, `picker`, `keygen`.
- **Cross-compiles** to all five targets (macOS arm64/amd64, Linux amd64/arm64,
Windows amd64). Binary grew from ~3.5 MB to ~6.1 MB — the cost of the
in-process SFTP stack (`x/crypto/ssh` + `pkg/sftp`), a deliberate trade chosen
over shelling out to the system `sftp`.
- **Live-verified via tmux** (against an in-memory SFTP server): dual-pane
render, navigation, batch selection, single-file push, recursive directory
push (contents verified on the far side), and the overwrite-conflict prompt
(goroutine↔UI coordination). keygen verified end-to-end (valid ed25519,
correct perms, config append with backup).
Windows amd64).
- **Live-verified via tmux**: keygen verified end-to-end (valid ed25519, correct
perms, config append with backup); picker navigation, sort cycling, tag
grouping, and favourites toggling all exercised.
## Known limitations / not yet exercised
- **The SFTP connection layer is now live-verified against a real sshd.**
Against a test host (key-based auth, no agent, unencrypted key loaded directly
from `IdentityFile`): `sshx.Connect` + SFTP listing, an SFTP write/read/remove
round-trip, and a full-TUI pull *and* push both passed with byte-for-byte
sha256 matches. An env-gated live test (`DIAL_LIVE_HOST=<host> go test
./internal/sshx -run TestLiveConnect`) is kept for re-running this. Still
unverified against a real host: **ProxyJump chaining** and **agent-backed /
encrypted-key auth** (the test host used a plain key file, no agent). (Same
hardware-untested posture remains for the YubiKey gate.)
- **ssh-agent on Windows** uses named pipes, not the `SSH_AUTH_SOCK` unix socket
the code dials; it compiles, but agent auth on Windows likely needs follow-up.
- **Encrypted key files** are skipped by the SFTP auth (it relies on the agent
for those) — dial never prompts for a key passphrase when connecting.
- **No mid-transfer cancel** — resume covers interruptions, but there's no
in-flight cancel key; a stuck transfer would need Ctrl-C out of the browser.
- **known_hosts is verify-only** — an unknown host errors out ("ssh to it once
first") rather than offering trust-on-first-use; no known_hosts management.
- **YubiKey gate is hardware-untested** — the challenge-response and recovery-code
logic have unit coverage, but the gate has not been exercised against a
physical YubiKey + `ykman` on real hardware.
- Still unsigned binaries (Gatekeeper/SmartScreen warnings); no CI/releases.
## Deferred (explicitly out of this pass)
Idle-timeout gate option; crash-persistent resume (surviving a dial restart);
distribution/signing/package managers; multi-select/batch actions *across hosts*
(distinct from the in-browser batch file selection, which shipped); per-host
notes; fuzzy search.
- **In-app SFTP file browser.** Planned for v2 (see `dial-v2-plan.md` §3) — a
dual-pane push/pull browser opened with `t`, built on an in-process SFTP stack
(`pkg/sftp` + `golang.org/x/crypto/ssh`). **Not built.** No `t` action, no
transfer/connection packages, and `pkg/sftp` is not a dependency. This is the
largest deferred item and would be the natural centrepiece of a v3.
- Idle-timeout gate option; distribution/signing/package managers; multi-select
actions across hosts; per-host notes; fuzzy search.
## Open questions & directions to brainstorm
1. **Real-host validation plan for SFTP** — what's the cheapest way to smoke-test
the connection layer (a throwaway VM? a container running sshd? a known host)?
2. **Windows agent support** — is Windows a real target for the SFTP browser, or
is it macOS/Linux-first? Determines whether named-pipe agent support is worth
building.
3. **Cancel & crash-persistent resume** — how often do transfers of very large
files over flaky links actually happen? That's the trigger for investing in
disk-persisted transfer state.
4. **known_hosts UX** — is verify-only acceptable, or should the browser offer to
record a new host key (with a clear prompt)?
5. **Grouping refinements** — should multi-tagged hosts optionally appear under
1. **SFTP browser — build it next?** It was the headline v2 plan but slipped.
Worth scoping as the v3 centrepiece, and if so, what's the cheapest way to
smoke-test the connection layer against a real sshd (a throwaway VM? a
container running sshd? a known host)?
2. **Grouping refinements** — should multi-tagged hosts optionally appear under
*every* tag? Should there be a per-tag filter shortcut or colour legend?
6. **Distribution** — Homebrew tap / Scoop / `install.sh` / signed releases via
3. **Distribution** — Homebrew tap / Scoop / `install.sh` / signed releases via
CI: worth doing now that the feature set is broad?
7. **SFTP polish** — a file preview? delete/rename/mkdir on either side? a "sync
this directory" one-shot? These edge toward a full file manager — where's the
line for a tool that's fundamentally a host picker?
## How to build / try
- Build: `make build` (native) or `make dist` (all platforms). Requires Go 1.23+.
- Build: `make build` (native) or `make dist` (all platforms). Requires Go 1.25+.
- Keys: `dial keygen` (no external deps).
- SFTP browser: `dial`, pick a host, press `t` (needs the host in known_hosts and
agent/key auth working — i.e. a host you can already `ssh` to).
- YubiKey gate: `dial yubikey enable` (requires Yubico's `ykman`).