SSH Secure Shell for Workstations

Installation & Configuration Instructions

Introduction

This document shows how to install SSH Secure Shell for Workstations on a PC running Microsoft Windows 2000/XP.

Please note that this software does not support MS Vista. See our putty pages for a compatable SSH client.

SSH Secure Shell provides a secure mechanism to log into, as well as transfer files to and from, the main Unix servers in the School of Computer Science.

The following eight steps guide you through installation and describe basic functionality. Subsequent documents explain more advanced topics, such as configuring secure tunnels, connection optimisation and using a public key.

    • To install SSHWin, download and run the SoCS-SSHWin.exe self extracting Zip file (5.3MB file, also available on the Computer Science software distribution). Please note that due to licensing restrictions downloads are only permitted within the School.
    • SSHWin is also available for free, personal use by download from ftp://ftp.ssh.com/pub/ssh/.
    • The installation defaults are reasonable, though the command line tools aren't generally required.

    • When installation is complete, run the Secure Shell Client (using the desktop icon or Windows Start menu) and ensure that the licence information under Help... About Secure Shell... is as shown.
    • If not, use 7-Zip to extract the license.dat file from SoCS-SSHWin.exe and Help... Import License File...

    • They grey window text indicates an inactive SSH connection.
    • Press Enter or Space to initiate a Quick Connect.
    • Enter the full host-name of the server to connect to (e.g.: tw.cs.bham.ac.uk), your username, port 22 and Password authentication. Then press Connect.

    • You will be informed that this is the first time you have connected to this host and asked if you want to save its public key.
    • Select Yes to remember the host's unique identification.

    • If you are making a connection to a host outside the School of Computer Science, Secure Shell Client may detect and advise you that it only supports SSH1.

    • When prompted, enter your password to complete the secure connection.
    • Terminal based commands and programs may now be used.
    • To open another window over the connection, click the "Open new terminal window" icon.

    • To transfer files across the secure connection, click on the "Open file transfer window" icon shown in step 7.
    • You may then drag and drop files to and from Windows Explorer.

    8. Next

    You have now successfully installed and configured SSH Secure Shell for Workstations to make secure connections to a remote host with terminal and file transfer capabilities.

    Once established, an SSH2 secure connection may also be used to transfer other data to and from the network at the remote host as if your machine was connected to the network at its location.

    Instructions on how to set this up are contained in the next part of this document, Configuring SSH2 Tunnels.