Why I rewrote AutoPuTTY from scratch

Description and use

The author migrated from AutoPuTTY to Hostpad to gain nested folders, dark theme, and secure vault storage.

Problem

AutoPuTTY’s flat list, legacy encryption, and lack of dark theme no longer met the author’s growing needs of >20 clients, 50 projects, and secure storage.

Outcome

Hostpad successfully replaces AutoPuTTY, offering secure vaults, folder organization, dark theme, and a clean import process, while preserving all existing credentials.

Workflow

• 1. Read and analyze AutoPuTTY’s XML format and encryption scheme.
• 2. Design a new data model with folders, jump hosts, and comments.
• 3. Implement secure storage using AES‑256‑GCM, DPAPI, and PBKDF2‑HMAC‑SHA256.
• 4. Build importers to migrate existing AutoPuTTY files, preserving passwords and comments.
• 5. Develop Hostpad UI with dark theme and folder navigation.
• 6. Publish Hostpad under GPLv3 and provide documentation for migration.
• 7. Encourage users to rotate passwords after import.
• 8. Maintain the project with automated GitHub Actions releases.

Evidence

If you are migrating a file that had no master password, treat what is in it as known: the hostnames, the usernames and the passwords.

Source

Hostpad therefore shares no code with AutoPuTTY. It is written from scratch on .NET 10 and WPF, and it is GPLv3.

Source