SSH Server for Windows: A Guide for Devs

As a Dev, you may be familiar with using SSH to access remote servers. However, did you know that you can also use SSH on a Windows machine? In this guide, we will explore the process of setting up an SSH server on Windows, as well as how to use it for remote access and file transfers.

Part 1: Setting Up the SSH Server

Before we can start using SSH on our Windows machine, we need to first set up an SSH server. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Install OpenSSH

The first step in setting up an SSH server on Windows is to install the OpenSSH package. This can be done using the following PowerShell command:

Get-WindowsCapability -Online | ? Name -like 'OpenSSH*' | Add-WindowsCapability -Online

This will download and install the necessary files for OpenSSH to run on your machine.

Step 2: Configure the SSH Server

After installing OpenSSH, we need to configure the SSH server to allow remote access. This can be done by modifying the SSH configuration file located at C:\ProgramData\ssh\sshd_config.

Open the file in a text editor and add the following lines:

Port 22
PermitRootLogin yes
PasswordAuthentication yes

Save the file and restart the SSH service using the following command:

Restart-Service sshd

Step 3: Set Up Firewall Rules

To allow incoming SSH connections, we need to add firewall rules to Windows Firewall. This can be done using the following PowerShell commands:

New-NetFirewallRule -Name 'SSH' -DisplayName 'SSH' -Enabled True -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -Action Allow -LocalPort 22
Set-NetFirewallRule -Name 'SSH' -Profile Public,Private

These commands will create a new firewall rule for SSH and allow incoming connections on port 22.

Step 4: Test the SSH Server

With the SSH server set up and configured, we can now test it by attempting to connect to our Windows machine from another device. This can be done using an SSH client, such as PuTTY or OpenSSH.

Connect to your Windows machine using the following command:

ssh username@ip_address

If everything is set up correctly, you should be prompted for your password and then connected to your Windows machine via SSH.

Part 2: Using SSH on Windows

Now that we have our SSH server set up and running, we can start using it for remote access and file transfers. Here are some tips on how to use SSH on Windows:

Remote Access

To access your Windows machine remotely using SSH, simply connect to it using an SSH client. This will give you command line access to your Windows machine from anywhere in the world.

You can also use SSH to tunnel other protocols, such as RDP, allowing you to securely access your Windows machine’s desktop remotely.

File Transfers

SSH can also be used for secure file transfers between your Windows machine and other devices. To transfer files, use the following command:

scp username@ip_address:/path/to/source/file /path/to/destination/file

This will copy the file from the source location on your Windows machine to the destination location on the remote device.

FAQ