ssh-chat is a secure, terminal-based chat application that allows users to communicate over the SSH protocol, specifically designed for secure collaboration among small teams.

The main features of this tool include:

• Secure-by-Default Communication: It leverages the inherent security of the SSH protocol to provide encrypted chat without requiring the complex setup of multiple servers or SSH tunnels often needed for private IRC.

• Key-Based Access Control: Instead of traditional passwords, it uses SSH public keys for authentication. Administrators can whitelist specific friends or team members and assign administrative rights by managing a file of authorized public keys.

• Lightweight Deployment: The tool can be easily installed using pre-compiled binary releases, compiled directly from source using Go, or installed as a global package via go get.

• ANSI Color Support: Users can customize their experience by adding ANSI escape codes to the "Message of the Day" (motd) file, allowing for colored text and stylized terminal interfaces.

• Interactive Terminal Integration: It supports clickable URLs (depending on the user's terminal emulator) and provides a comprehensive list of built-in commands for managing the chat environment.

• Community and Customization: The project supports various visual themes and has a growing list of "interesting forks" and community-maintained servers.