This is going to be a super quick tutorial about how to access a Windows environment through ssh.
Step 1. Install cygwin, and make sure openssh and cygrunsrv packages are installed:
![](https://catonmat.net/images/windows-ssh/cygwin-install-openssh.png)
![](https://catonmat.net/images/windows-ssh/cygwin-install-cygrunsrv.png)
Step 2. Start cygwin and run ssh-host-config
to configure ssh:
![](https://catonmat.net/images/windows-ssh/cygwin-ssh-host-config.png)
ssh-host-config
to configure ssh
Step 3. Run cygrunsrv -S sshd
to start sshd as a Windows service:
![](https://catonmat.net/images/windows-ssh/cygwin-cygrunsrv.png)
cygrunsrv -S sshd
to start sshd
Step 4. Ssh into Windows using your favorite ssh client
![](https://catonmat.net/images/windows-ssh/putty.png)
You can even set this up for your local workstation (if it happens to be Windows). Then you can forget about cmd.exe or PowerShell and use a real shell locally. Until next time.