Chapter 14. OpenSSH for Windows
OpenSSH, though originally written for Unix-like operating systems, runs well under Windows too. If you prefer command-line programs rather than a GUI, OpenSSH is probably your best bet for a free SSH implementation.
In order to run OpenSSH on Windows, you must install the Cygwin library (http://www.cygwin.com/) and associated programs. The installation is pretty simple but large: some users complain about the added “bloat” of Cygwin’s many programs. If this concerns you, check out OpenSSH For Windows (http://sshwindows.sourceforge.net/), a minimal installation of OpenSSH and Cygwin. Our perspective, however, is that Cygwin comes with so many mind-bogglingly useful tools (ported from Unix) that you might as well do a full install.
In most cases, OpenSSH operates the same way under Windows as it does under Unix. In this chapter we’ll cover only the differences; in Chapter 15 we will cover OpenSSH on the Macintosh similarly.
Tip
Like Unix, Cygwin uses the term “directory” to refer to a folder. We will use the Cygwin terminology.
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