Beta version of the client available Windows 10 version 1709

Dec 15, 2017 06:20 GMT  ·  By
The app is offered as an optional feature in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update
   The app is offered as an optional feature in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Microsoft has implemented a long series of improvements in Windows 10 specifically aimed developers, and the company seems very keen on maintaining this approach for the next updates to the operating system.

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, for example, comes with a beta version of an OpenSSH client that takes just a couple of minutes to enable. Despite being only in its early days, the native client appears to be working pretty flawlessly, making many wondering if Putty still has a future or not.

It goes without saying that this isn’t the kind of feature that’s useful for all Windows 10 adopters, but it certainly appeals to tech-savvy users who previously relied on apps like PuTTY for remote connections to servers.

How to install the OpenSSH client

Enabling the Windows 10 native OpenSSH client is quite an easy thing to do because it’s included in the Optional features screen in the Settings app.

To do this, launch the Settings app and head over to Apps > Apps & features > Manage optional features > Add a feature and look for an entry called OpenSSH Client (Beta). It comes as a 656KB package, so it downloads and installs pretty fast, with no reboot required when the process comes to an end.

Microsoft hasn’t publicly discussed this feature addition, but since it’s still in beta, there’s a chance you’ll come across bugs and issues that you wouldn’t normally expect. You are thus recommended to report them to Microsoft to have them fixed before the client reaches the stable version.

As far as the target date for this to happen, the next major Windows 10 release is the Redstone 4 update landing in the spring, and this appears to be the right moment for Microsoft to introduce the OpenSSH client. More details, however, could be provided to users in the upcoming preview builds shipped as part of the Windows Insider program.