PuTTY introduction

PuTTY is a no-cost, open-source terminal emulator and network client maintained by Simon Tatham and contributors. It shines at interactive SSH and Telnet sessions on Windows, with PuTTYgen for keys, PSCP and PSFTP for transfers, Plink for scripted calls, and Pageant acting as the SSH agent. Licensing follows the MIT terms.

Standout traits:

• Mature SSH-2 implementation with tunable algorithms and session logging.
• Profiles that remember hosts, ports, window layout, fonts, and colours.
• Portable-friendly Windows binaries plus Linux packages and macOS ports.
• Steady releases with checksums published for official builds.

Typical audiences:

• Developers and admins: rapid SSH hops into Linux hosts, routers, and cloud VMs.
• Support teams: serial consoles plus Telnet when legacy hardware still needs it.
• Students: a compact route into remote shells without provisioning a full Linux desktop.

Continue learning: install walkthrough, first SSH login, PuTTYgen key tasks, and safety guidance appear on the Step-by-step guide for this site.

To download PuTTY, open the installers page or the site home. For SSH keys, open PuTTYgen.