SSH Connections Move to JetBrains Daemon by Default in Toolbox 3.6 EAP(ツールボックス 3.6 EAP)

JetBrains just made SSH remote connections default to the JetBrains Daemon (jetbrainsd) in the Toolbox App 3.6 Early Access Program, and they want you to try to break it.

Why the Daemon Gets the SSH Keys Now

Up until now, the Toolbox App handled SSH connections for remote development directly. That tied the connection logic to the app's own lifecycle and UI. Moving SSH to jetbrainsd lets a shared background service manage all remote sessions, independent of whether the Toolbox window is open. The goal is a more reliable, consistent remote development flow across JetBrains IDEs.

JetBrains is running this change through an EAP first exactly because the daemon becomes the central point for SSH. If the new flow blows up, they want logs and repro steps before pushing it to stable. The toggle labeled "Enable jetbrainsd SSH client" in settings is temporary - it exists only during the EAP to give you a quick escape hatch.

How to Test and What Happens When It Breaks

Download the Toolbox App 3.6 EAP build. Try an SSH remote connection. If it fails, collect logs via About | Collect logs and diagnostics data and file a report in YouTrack. The logs help JetBrains differentiate between daemon startup failures, corporate security policies blocking the daemon, authentication issues, or plain SSH misconfiguration.

If you're stuck, turn off "Enable jetbrainsd SSH client" in settings and retry. That falls back to the old Toolbox App SSH handling. Still blocked? Revert to the latest stable Toolbox App version. The option disappears after the EAP ends, so now is the time to surface corner cases.

This move consolidates remote connection infrastructure under the daemon, which should make future updates to remote development work across all JetBrains tools without touching each IDE's SSH plumbing individually.

Source: SSH Connections Are Moving to JetBrains Daemon in the Toolbox App 3.6 EAP
Domain: blog.jetbrains.com