Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

FireSSH VS rxvt-unicode

Compare FireSSH VS rxvt-unicode and see what are their differences

FireSSH logo FireSSH

After 13 years and 25 million downloads later, Firefox has officially removed FireFTP and FireSSH support from the browser. Thus, I've ended support / development of the addons. I recommend switching to Waterfox to continue using the addons.

rxvt-unicode logo rxvt-unicode

5. 1 Transparency not working after upgrade to v9. 09; 5. 2 Remote hosts; 5. 3 Using rxvt-unicode as gmrun terminal; 5.
  • FireSSH Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-02
  • rxvt-unicode Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-08

FireSSH features and specs

  • Cross-platform
    FireSSH works on any operating system that supports Firefox, enhancing its flexibility and usability across different environments.
  • Integration with Firefox
    As a Firefox extension, FireSSH eliminates the need for a separate SSH client, making it convenient for users who prefer to work within their browser.
  • User-friendly Interface
    The extension provides a straightforward and easy-to-navigate interface, which can be especially beneficial for users who may not be as comfortable with command-line tools.
  • Free and Open Source
    FireSSH is freely available and open source, allowing users to use and modify it according to their needs without incurring any costs.

Possible disadvantages of FireSSH

  • Dependence on Firefox
    FireSSH requires Firefox to function, limiting its use to only those who are willing or able to use this browser.
  • Performance Limitations
    As a browser extension, FireSSH may suffer from performance limitations and potential instability compared to standalone SSH clients.
  • Security Concerns
    Relying on browser extensions can raise security concerns, especially when handling sensitive SSH credentials within a web browser.
  • Limited Features
    While convenient, FireSSH lacks some advanced features and functionalities that more robust, dedicated SSH clients offer.

rxvt-unicode features and specs

  • Lightweight
    rxvt-unicode is known for its low memory usage and minimal resource consumption, making it an efficient choice for systems with limited resources.
  • Unicode Support
    It provides robust support for Unicode, allowing it to handle a wide variety of character sets and languages, which is particularly useful for internationalization.
  • Customizability
    Users can extensively customize rxvt-unicode using X resources, allowing for a highly personalized terminal experience.
  • Perl Extensions
    rxvt-unicode supports Perl extensions, enabling advanced users to extend its functionality with custom scripts and plugins.
  • Transparency
    It supports pseudo-transparency, which can be visually appealing and useful for certain aesthetic purposes.
  • Performance
    rxvt-unicode is optimized for performance, providing a snappy and responsive experience even under heavy use.

Possible disadvantages of rxvt-unicode

  • Complex Configuration
    The extensive customizability, though a pro for advanced users, can be overwhelming and complex for beginners.
  • Limited Documentation
    Documentation can be sparse or difficult to navigate, which might pose challenges for users trying to fully leverage its capabilities.
  • Aging Codebase
    Some parts of the codebase are relatively old, which could potentially lead to maintainability issues or lack of modern features.
  • Less Beginner-Friendly
    rxvt-unicode does not cater well to novice users due to its reliance on configuration files and command-line options for customization.
  • Dependency on Perl
    The reliance on Perl for extensions might be a drawback for users who are not familiar with the language or prefer not to have additional dependencies.
  • Lack of Integrated Tabs
    Unlike some modern terminal emulators, rxvt-unicode does not have built-in tab support, requiring users to rely on external tools or workarounds.

Analysis of FireSSH

Overall verdict

  • FireSSH is no longer actively maintained. Additionally, with the evolution of browser technologies and security concerns, browser-based SSH clients like FireSSH have seen a decline in favorability compared to standalone applications. Users are generally encouraged to use dedicated SSH clients for enhanced security and more reliable performance.

Why this product is good

  • FireSSH was once a popular SSH client extension for the Firefox browser because it integrated seamlessly into the browser and provided a convenient way for users to access SSH terminals without needing a separate application. It was appreciated for its ease of use and platform independence, working on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Recommended for

    FireSSH is not recommended for modern use. However, if you need a lightweight, browser-based SSH solution and are using an older version of Firefox, it might still work for basic needs. For current needs, consider using dedicated SSH clients like PuTTY, OpenSSH, or more modern web-based solutions like 'ShellHub' for secure, efficient, and supported SSH access.

Analysis of rxvt-unicode

Overall verdict

  • rxvt-unicode is a highly regarded terminal emulator, particularly among Unix-like operating systems users.

Why this product is good

  • Rxvt-unicode is known for its efficiency and low resource consumption compared to other terminal emulators. It supports Unicode, providing robust multilingual text handling, and allows for multiple font support. Its extensibility, through Perl scripts and add-ons, offers flexibility and customization options. Furthermore, its simple, minimalistic design appeals to users who prefer a no-nonsense terminal environment.

Recommended for

    rxvt-unicode is recommended for advanced users, developers, and system administrators who work in Unix-like environments and require a lightweight terminal emulator with Unicode support and extensive customization options. It is particularly suitable for those who value performance and minimal resource usage.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to FireSSH and rxvt-unicode)
SSH
32 32%
68% 68
Server Management
31 31%
69% 69
Tool
41 41%
59% 59
Terminal Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare FireSSH and rxvt-unicode

FireSSH Reviews

10 best SSH Clients for Windows: free alternatives to PuTTY
If for whatever reason you prefer not to use a separate software for SSH remote administration, then FireSSH addon for Firefox and Chrome can be a great alternative. A great example is when you are on a system that you do not have administrative privileges. While portable SSH clients could work on such Windows PCs, FireSSH extension is platform independent.

rxvt-unicode Reviews

The 10 Best Linux Terminal Emulators
The key feature of rxvt-Unicode is that it is rock solid as software. It hardly crashes and is free of glitches. Experienced Linux users also prefer it because the main rxvt-Unicode program runs as a daemon, conserving system resources. Developers might love to try its support of Perl extensions which might increase productivity.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, rxvt-unicode seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 3 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

FireSSH mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of FireSSH yet. Tracking of FireSSH recommendations started around Mar 2021.

rxvt-unicode mentions (3)

  • tabby - a terminal for the modern age
    There are many terminal emulators, for throughput, predictable behavior with modern features, quake style, theming, tabs, and much more. Most of the features you need are supported by urxvt, and if it's not, there's sure to be another non-electron terminal emulator that has exactly what you need. Source: over 3 years ago
  • What terminal emulator do you use?
    Urxvt — Highly extendable (with Perl) unicode enabled rxvt-clone terminal emulator featuring tabbing, url launching, a Quake style drop-down mode and pseudo-transparency http://software.schmorp.de/pkg/rxvt-unicode.html. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Any good truecolor terminals ?
    x11-terms/rxvt-unicode Available versions: (~)9.22-r7t *9999lt {-24-bit-color 256-color blink fading-colors +font-styles gdk-pixbuf iso14755 +mousewheel +perl -sgrmouse startup-notification unicode3 +utmp +wtmp xft} Homepage: http://software.schmorp.de/pkg/rxvt-unicode.html Description: rxvt clone with xft and unicode support. Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing FireSSH and rxvt-unicode, you can also consider the following products

KiTTY - KiTTY is a fork from version 0.70 of PuTTY. It adds extra features to PuTTY.

GNOME Terminal - GNOME Terminal is a terminal emulator for GNOME desktop.

MobaXterm - Enhanced terminal for Windows with X11 server, tabbed SSH client, network tools and much more

Console - Console is a Windows console window enhancement.

PowerShell - Download WMF. Windows Management Framework contains the latest versions of PowerShell, DSC, WMI, and WinRM for older versions of Windows. PowerShell Module Browser. Search for PowerShell modules and cmdlets.

PuTTY - Popular free terminal application. Mostly used as an SSH client.