brew install ryanonmars/termkey/termkey

brew install ryanonmars/termkey/termkey

iwr https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ryanonmars/termkey/master/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

TermKey

Local-only, encrypted vault for private keys, seed phrases, and passwords. Run termkey for the full-screen TUI, or use subcommands for direct terminal workflows. XChaCha20-Poly1305 + Argon2id. Zero cloud. Zero trust.

• Vault path: ~/.termkey/
• Secret types: private keys, seed phrases, passwords
• Networks: Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, or a custom network label
• Extras: encrypted backup/import, optional recovery question, strong password generation for password entries, address derivation for supported crypto entries

Security

Install

macOS

Homebrew (recommended; updates with brew upgrade):

brew install ryanonmars/termkey/termkey

Installer DMG: Apple Silicon (ARM64) · Intel (x86_64)

Direct PKG installer: Apple Silicon (ARM64) · Intel (x86_64)

Direct ZIP download: Apple Silicon (ARM64) · Intel (x86_64)

The macOS installer adds TermKey.app and Uninstall TermKey.app to /Applications and also installs the termkey CLI to /usr/local/bin. To remove the installer-based version later, open Uninstall TermKey.app from Applications. It also removes the Chrome integration files installed by termkey browser install. Your vault in ~/.termkey is left untouched.

unzip termkey-macos-*.zip
chmod +x termkey
sudo mv termkey /usr/local/bin/
# or on Apple Silicon with Homebrew:
sudo mv termkey /opt/homebrew/bin/

Gatekeeper: If macOS blocks the app, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security, scroll to the Security section, click Open Anyway, then confirm with Open. If needed, remove the quarantine flag from the extracted binary with xattr -d com.apple.quarantine ./termkey.

Linux

Homebrew on Linux: brew.sh then:

brew install ryanonmars/termkey/termkey

Direct download: Linux x86_64

unzip termkey-linux-x86_64.zip
chmod +x termkey
sudo mv termkey /usr/local/bin/

Windows

Download and run the installer: TermKey-Setup.exe

No admin required. It installs to %LOCALAPPDATA%\termkey, adds termkey to your user PATH, and includes an uninstaller.

PowerShell bootstrap:

iwr https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ryanonmars/termkey/master/apps/cli/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

Manual ZIP: Windows x86_64

Windows Security blockers: Windows may block the installer or app on first launch. The two most likely blockers are Microsoft Defender SmartScreen and, on some Windows 11 systems, Smart App Control.

If you see the usual "Windows protected your PC" prompt from SmartScreen:

1. Click More info
2. Click Run anyway

If Windows keeps blocking the downloaded file:

1. Right-click TermKey-Setup.exe or the extracted termkey.exe
2. Click Properties
3. Check Unblock near the bottom of the window
4. Click Apply, then launch it again

If there is no Run anyway option and Windows says the app was blocked for your protection, Smart App Control may be the blocker instead. Check Windows Security → App & browser control → Smart App Control. If it is enabled, you may need your Windows administrator or security policy owner to allow the app before it can run.

Chrome Extension Setup

TermKey can ship its Chrome integration alongside the app download, but Chrome still requires a manual Load unpacked step for non-store extensions.

1. Run termkey browser install
2. Open chrome://extensions
3. Turn on Developer mode
4. Click Load unpacked
5. Select the folder printed by the command

Useful commands:

termkey browser install
termkey browser status
termkey browser repair

termkey browser install copies the bundled extension into a stable user folder, installs the Chrome native-host manifest, and prints the exact folder to load in Chrome.

Default extension folder by platform:

• macOS: ~/Applications/TermKey Browser Extension
• Linux: ~/TermKey Browser Extension
• Windows: %USERPROFILE%\TermKey Browser Extension

termkey browser install prints the exact path on the current machine, so users do not need to discover it manually.

How It Works

Run termkey with no subcommand to open the TUI.

When terminal graphics are supported, TermKey shows a short pre-TUI splash icon before entering the fullscreen app. The current best-effort auto-detected targets are Kitty and Ghostty via the Kitty graphics protocol, plus iTerm2 via its OSC 1337 inline-image protocol. iTerm2 may prompt for permission before displaying inline images. tmux is disabled by default because redraws can wipe terminal images. Override detection with TERMKEY_GRAPHICS=kitty or TERMKEY_GRAPHICS=iterm2, disable it with TERMKEY_GRAPHICS=off, and adjust the delay with TERMKEY_SPLASH_MS=<milliseconds>.

On first launch, TermKey opens a setup wizard where you:

1. Create your master password
2. Create the local vault
3. Optionally set up a recovery question

After setup, you land on the login screen and then the dashboard.

Inside the TUI you can:

• Add private keys, seed phrases, or passwords
• Generate strong passwords while creating password entries
• Search and filter entries in place
• View secrets or copy them to the clipboard
• Edit, rename, and delete entries
• Export an encrypted backup and import it later
• Change your master password
• Open settings and recovery flows

For crypto entries, TermKey supports Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, and custom network labels. Public address derivation is available for supported Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Solana private keys and seed phrases.

For password entries, you can also store optional username and URL metadata alongside the secret. Both the TUI add form and termkey add can generate a strong password for you during entry creation.

CLI Commands

The TUI is the default interface, but the command mode is fully available when you want direct operations:

termkey init
termkey add
termkey list
termkey view <name-or-index>
termkey edit <name-or-index>
termkey rename <old> <new>
termkey delete <name-or-index>
termkey copy <name-or-index>
termkey search <query>
termkey export <directory>
termkey import <path/to/backup.ck>
termkey passwd
termkey recover
termkey config --show
termkey derive <name-or-index>
termkey browser install
termkey browser status
termkey browser repair

Notes:

• termkey export <directory> writes an encrypted backup.ck file into that directory.
• termkey recover uses your configured recovery question flow.
• termkey derive saves a public address for supported Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Solana key or seed entries.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Links

• Releases
• Issues

License: MIT · Rust