PuTTY
Contents
PuTTY
PuTTY is a free and open-source terminal emulator, serial console, and network file transfer application. It supports various network protocols, including SSH, Telnet, rlogin, and raw socket connections. PuTTY is primarily used on Windows systems to securely connect to remote servers, such as Linux-based systems or seedboxes.
PuTTY was originally developed by Simon Tatham and has become one of the most widely used SSH clients on Windows.
Key Features
- **SSH client** – Secure remote login using SSH protocol
- **Telnet client** – Legacy support for Telnet protocol
- **Serial port support** – Connect to devices over COM ports
- **SCP and SFTP file transfer** – Via companion tools like `pscp` and `psftp`
- **Key generator** – Built-in SSH key pair creation with `PuTTYgen`
- **Session management** – Save and manage multiple remote host profiles
- **Custom terminal settings** – Change fonts, colors, keyboard behavior, and window size
Installation
You can download PuTTY from the official website:
<syntaxhighlight lang="text"> https://www.putty.org </syntaxhighlight>
Windows users can choose either the installer (.msi) or standalone executable (.exe). PuTTY is also available on Linux via:
<syntaxhighlight lang="bash"> sudo apt install putty </syntaxhighlight>
Connecting via SSH
1. Open PuTTY. 2. Enter the hostname or IP address of the remote server. 3. Set the connection type to **SSH** (port 22 by default). 4. (Optional) Save the session for reuse. 5. Click **Open** to start the session.
If the server is accessible, a terminal window will open asking for your username and password.
Using PuTTYgen to Generate SSH Keys
PuTTY includes `PuTTYgen`, a tool to generate SSH key pairs:
1. Open **PuTTYgen**. 2. Select key type (usually RSA or Ed25519). 3. Click **Generate** and move your mouse for entropy. 4. Save the public and private keys. 5. Add the public key to your remote server's `~/.ssh/authorized_keys`.
You can then configure PuTTY to use the private key under:
- **Connection → SSH → Auth → Private key file for authentication**
Companion Tools
- pscp.exe – Command-line SCP (Secure Copy)
- psftp.exe – Interactive SFTP client
- pageant.exe – SSH authentication agent for managing keys
Typical Use Cases
- Secure access to Linux servers from Windows
- Managing seedboxes via SSH
- Configuring routers, Raspberry Pi, or other headless devices
- Transferring files using SCP/SFTP
- Remote development and system administration
Alternatives
- MobaXterm – All-in-one SSH client with GUI features
- Bitvise SSH Client – Commercial alternative with enhanced session management
- Windows Terminal – Native terminal supporting SSH (Windows 10+)
- OpenSSH for Windows – Native SSH client for modern Windows versions
