Microsoft: SSH support coming to Windows
Windows users who want to access another device via SSH (Secure Shell) have to rely on third-party tools to get the job done, as there is no built-in support for it in the popular operating system. Azure CTO Mark Russinovich has revealed that he uses PuTTY for such tasks, which is also the SSH tool of choice for plenty of other folks, myself included.
As such, the fact that SSH support is one of the most popular feature requests that the PowerShell team has received should not surprise any Windows power users. And since Microsoft is actively trying to cater to its users' needs, it just announced that it is currently working on making the much-requested feature a reality.
This is not the first time that folks at Microsoft have tried to add SSH support to Windows, but it is the first time that this proposal was accepted. "The first attempts were during PowerShell V1 and V2 and were rejected. Given our changes in leadership and culture, we decided to give it another try and this time, because we are able to show the clear and compelling customer value, the company is very supportive", says PowerShell Team group software engineering manager Angel Calvo.
This is not something that we get to hear every day from someone writing on behalf of Microsoft. Under Satya Nadella it looks like things are changing in the right direction. You do not need to go as far as SSH support in Windows to realize this, as there are more consumer-centric changes, like the return of the Start menu in Windows and the focus on mobility and cross-platform support, that speak volumes.
Just this week, Microsoft bought my favorite to-do app for iOS (also available on Android and Windows Phone), Wunderlist. Before it, also this year, Microsoft acquired Accompli (rebranding its app as Outlook) and Sunrise, both of which also reside on my iPhone's home screen as my go-to email and calendar apps, respectively.
In bringing SSH support to Windows, Microsoft will not come up with an entirely in-house solution. Instead, the software giant has decided to "adopt an industry proven solution". "I'm pleased to announce that the PowerShell team will support and contribute to the OpenSSH community -- Very excited to work with the OpenSSH community to deliver the PowerShell and Windows SSH solution!", reveals Calvo.
Of course, OpenSSH will be adapted to work in Windows, but, again, this is not something that the Microsoft of old would have proudly announced on one of its blogs. For those of you wondering when you can test SSH support in Windows, there is no estimated availability date for this feature yet.
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