dap

dap is a data access proxy for SSH-based machines. It scans your OpenSSH config, lists configured hosts, adds and edits SSH host blocks, connects to remote machines, proxies remote ports, and mounts remote folders into your local filesystem.

dap uses OpenSSH as the source of truth. Your ~/.ssh/config, SSH agent, keys, ProxyJump, known hosts, and normal ssh behavior remain in control.

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Install

Install globally:

pnpm install -g dap

Or install in a project:

pnpm install dap

Quick Start

Open the interactive dashboard:

dap

List configured SSH hosts:

dap list

Add a host:

dap add production --hostname 203.0.113.10 --user root --identity-file ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Connect to a host:

dap ssh production

Proxy a remote PostgreSQL port to your local machine:

dap proxy production --local 5433:127.0.0.1:5432

Mount a remote folder locally:

dap mount production:/var/www ./mounts/production-www

Check local system support:

dap doctor

Commands

dap

Starts the interactive dashboard.

dap

The dashboard can list hosts, add hosts, edit hosts, connect over SSH, start port proxies, mount remote paths, and run diagnostics.

dap list

Lists hosts found in your SSH config.

dap list

dap reads the main config and included files.

dap add

Adds a DAP-managed host block to the main SSH config.

dap add staging --hostname staging.example.com --user deploy --port 22 --identity-file ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Generated block:

# dap:begin staging
Host staging
  HostName staging.example.com
  User deploy
  Port 22
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
# dap:end staging

If required fields are missing, dap add asks for them interactively.

dap edit <host>

Edits a host in the main SSH config.

dap edit production --user deploy --identity-file ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Editable fields include:

• HostName
• User
• Port
• IdentityFile
• ProxyJump
• LocalForward
• RemoteForward

DAP-managed blocks are updated directly. Existing non-DAP host blocks are shown as a diff before writing unless --yes is passed.

dap ssh <host>

Connects to a host using the system ssh binary.

dap ssh production

By default this starts a session bridge and temporarily places a dap command into the remote session PATH. The command is created in a temporary remote directory and removed when the SSH session exits.

Disable the bridge when you want a plain SSH call:

dap ssh production --no-bridge

Pass raw SSH arguments after --:

dap ssh production -- -A

Remote Session dap

When you connect with dap ssh <host>, the remote shell receives a temporary dap command.

Inside the remote session:

dap info

Mount the current remote directory into a local path:

dap mount . ./dap-mounts/project

The remote command talks back to the local DAP session through an SSH reverse forward. The bridge uses a one-time token and only exposes explicit DAP actions.

The remote machine needs curl for bridged remote commands.

dap proxy <host>

Starts an SSH local forward.

dap proxy production --local 5433:127.0.0.1:5432

This maps:

localhost:5433 -> production:127.0.0.1:5432

Internally this uses:

ssh -N -L 5433:127.0.0.1:5432 production

dap mount <host>:<remotePath> <localPath>

Mounts a remote path into your local filesystem.

dap mount production:/srv/project ./mounts/project

Backends:

• sshfs, preferred when available.
• rclone mount, used as a fallback with the documented --sftp-ssh option so OpenSSH host aliases can still be used.

Force a backend:

dap mount production:/srv/project ./mounts/project --backend sshfs

Linux requires FUSE. macOS requires macFUSE.

dap unmount <localPath>

Unmounts a local mount path.

dap unmount ./mounts/project

On Linux, dap uses fusermount3, fusermount, or umount. On macOS, it uses umount.

dap doctor

Checks the local system for required tools and platform support.

dap doctor

It checks:

• ssh
• sshfs
• rclone
• ~/.ssh/config
• FUSE on Linux
• macFUSE on macOS

SSH Config Handling

dap uses the main SSH config:

~/.ssh/config

It also scans files referenced by Include directives.

When adding new hosts, dap writes managed blocks directly to the main config. Managed blocks are wrapped with markers:

# dap:begin production
Host production
  HostName 203.0.113.10
  User root
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
# dap:end production

Before changing the main config, dap creates a timestamped backup:

~/.ssh/config.dap-backup-2026-05-30T12-30-00-000Z

For existing non-DAP host blocks, dap edit shows a diff before writing.

Mounting Notes

sshfs is the simplest backend because it maps directly to OpenSSH host aliases:

sshfs production:/srv/project ./mounts/project

rclone mount is available as a fallback. DAP invokes it with the external SSH option so your SSH config alias remains the connection entry point:

rclone mount :sftp:/srv/project ./mounts/project --sftp-ssh "ssh production" --sftp-shell-type none

Safety Model

dap follows these rules:

• OpenSSH remains authoritative.
• The main SSH config is backed up before writes.
• DAP-created blocks are clearly marked.
• Non-DAP host edits require diff confirmation by default.
• Remote dap exists only for the current dap ssh session.
• The remote session bridge uses a one-time token.
• The bridge exposes explicit DAP actions, not arbitrary local shell execution.

Platform Support

dap targets:

• Linux
• macOS

Windows is not part of the initial scope.

License and Legal Information

This repository contains open-source code licensed under the MIT License. A copy of the license can be found in the repository license.md file.

Please note: The MIT License does not grant permission to use the trade names, trademarks, service marks, or product names of the project, except as required for reasonable and customary use in describing the origin of the work and reproducing the content of the NOTICE file.

Trademarks

This project is owned and maintained by Task Venture Capital GmbH. The names and logos associated with Task Venture Capital GmbH and any related products or services are trademarks of Task Venture Capital GmbH or third parties, and are not included within the scope of the MIT license granted herein.

Use of these trademarks must comply with Task Venture Capital GmbH's Trademark Guidelines or the guidelines of the respective third-party owners, and any usage must be approved in writing. Third-party trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners and used only in a descriptive manner, e.g. for an implementation of an API or similar.

Company Information

Task Venture Capital GmbH
Registered at District Court Bremen HRB 35230 HB, Germany

For any legal inquiries or further information, please contact us via email at hello@task.vc.

By using this repository, you acknowledge that you have read this section, agree to comply with its terms, and understand that the licensing of the code does not imply endorsement by Task Venture Capital GmbH of any derivative works.