How to install PuTTY and use SSH

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This guide walks you through installing PuTTY and making your first SSH connection to a Linux device.

Before you start, you’ll need:

  • A Windows PC
  • A Linux device on the same local network (e.g. a Raspberry Pi, TrueNAS box, or any Linux server)
  • The IP address of that device — check your router’s admin page if you’re not sure what it is

SSH (Secure Shell) is a network protocol for securely logging in to and running commands on a remote Linux device — PuTTY is the most popular Windows client for doing exactly that.

1. Install PuTTY

PuTTY can be downloaded from here.
PuTTY download page showing Windows installer packages for 64-bit x86, 64-bit ARM, and 32-bit x86 systems
Download the appropriate .msi file. (If you are not sure which version you require, check out the FAQ here.)
Install in the usual way. It is safe to accept the defaults.
Once installed, start PuTTY, and you will see the following:
Configuration window of the PuTTY SSH client with options for session setup, including host name input, port number, connection type, and session management.

2. Connect to the Linux device using SSH

To test the connection, type the IP address of your Linux device in the Host Name box. (Alternatively, you might be able to use the hostname of the Linux device, but the IP address is easier if you don’t have your naming system established.)
PuTTY configuration window ready to establish an SSH connection with a specified IP address and default port.
 Click ‹Open›
As this is the first time you have connected to this device, you will receive a security warning:
Security alert dialog from PuTTY indicating that the server's host key is not in the registry, with options to accept, connect once, or cancel the connection.
As you know, it is safe to connect, click ‹Accept›. The key will then be stored in your computer’s registry, and you will not be prompted again.
You will then be prompted for the user name and password. So log in with your username and password. Note that both the username and password are case sensitive. The image below shows a Raspberry Pi login.
Terminal window displaying a successful SSH login to a media server, with a security notice about the default 'pi' user password not being changed.

3. Saving a session

OK, we know the settings work, let’s save them to make it easier next time. Close the current session (click the X in the top right-hand corner of the window). Restart PuTTY.
Enter the IP address again and a session name, then click ‹Save›. The session will appear in the Saved Sessions box:
Screenshot of the PuTTY Configuration window with a saved session named 'media-server' ready to initiate an SSH connection.
The PuTTY Configuration dialog is open with details for a saved session titled 'media-server', prepared to establish an SSH connection to the host with IP address 192.168.0.166.
Now you can simply double click on the Saved Session to open an SSH session with your Linux device. PuTTY does not offer the facility to save login/passwords as this would represent a security risk; you can however, use a public/private key combination.

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