PuTTY

A SSH, Telnet and Rlogin client featuring an xterm terminal emulator in order to provide an effective environment for advanced users.

• PuTTY
• License :MIT License
• OS :Windows All
• Publisher :Simon Tatham

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PuTTY is a free, open-source terminal emulator used primarily for SSH (Secure Shell) connections to remote servers. It’s widely used by system administrators, developers, and anyone who needs to securely manage Linux/Unix servers from Windows.

🔑 What PuTTY Is Used For

• Securely connect to remote servers using SSH
• Run command-line tasks on remote Linux/Unix machines
• Connect via Telnet, rlogin, or raw TCP (less common)
• Generate and manage SSH key pairs for authentication
• Forward ports (SSH tunneling) for secure networking

✅ How to Use PuTTY

1. Download & Install

• Official website: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/
• No installation required for the standalone .exe file — just download and run

2. Connect to a Remote Server via SSH

1. Open PuTTY
2. In the Host Name (or IP address) field, enter your server’s address (e.g., example.com or 192.168.1.10)
3. Make sure Port is set to 22 (default for SSH)
4. Connection type should be set to SSH
5. Click Open

3. Log In

• A terminal window opens, prompting you for your username (e.g., root, ubuntu, admin)
• Then enter your password (note: it won’t show characters as you type, for security)
• You are now connected to your server’s command line

4. Using SSH Keys for Authentication

• Use PuTTYgen (PuTTY Key Generator) to create SSH key pairs (.ppk files)
• Steps:
  1. Run PuTTYgen (included in PuTTY package)
  2. Click Generate and move your mouse randomly to create randomness
  3. Save the private key (.ppk)
  4. Copy the public key and add it to your server’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file
• In PuTTY, under Connection > SSH > Auth, browse for your private key file before connecting

5. Basic PuTTY Features

6. Port Forwarding Example

• Local port forwarding: Forward local port 8080 to remote server port 80
• In PuTTY, go to Connection > SSH > Tunnels
• Source port: 8080
• Destination: localhost:80
• Click Add
• Now browsing to localhost:8080 routes through SSH tunnel to remote port 80

7. Copy & Paste

• Copy: Select text with mouse (copies automatically)
• Paste: Right-click in PuTTY window

⚙️ Advanced Usage

• Automate login with saved sessions and keys
• Run remote commands with Plink (command-line PuTTY)
• Use PuTTY with tools like WinSCP for file transfer + terminal access

🆚 PuTTY vs Other SSH Clients