Logging in with GUI Client (Windows)

With SSH Tectia Client on Windows it is easy to establish connections to new remote host computers, and to manage the settings required for each host. The Quick Connect option allows you to create new connections fast, minimizing the work associated with configuring each connection. It is easy to define profiles for new hosts, and save the correct settings for each.

On Windows, you can connect to a remote host by using the SSH Tectia Client GUI as follows:

Start the SSH Tectia Client by clicking its icon on your desktop:
Figure 3.5. The SSH Tectia Client icon
To open the connection, click the Connect icon on the toolbar, or click File → Connect in the menu. Or you can hit Enter or Space on the keyboard when the (still disconnected) terminal window is active.
SSH Tectia Client GUI offers several ways to start connecting:
- If you already have a session open, click the Quick Connect command (toolbar or File menu). You can connect to an entirely new remote host computer and still keep the old connection to a different host open.
- If you have closed an earlier session, you can open a new session by hitting Enter or Space on the keyboard when the (still disconnected) terminal window is active.
  Enter connects you directly to the same remote server as the previous session.
  Space opens the Connect to Server dialog, and you can define the server where you wish to connect.
- If you have defined connection profiles, you can also connect by clicking File → Profiles → Profilename on the menu, or clicking the Profiles button on the toolbar and clicking the profile name.
  In this case, the settings defined in the profile (hostname, port, user name etc.) are automatically used for the connection and the Connect to Server dialog is not shown. For instructions on creating and editing the connection profiles, see Defining Connection Profiles.
This opens the Connect to Server dialog:
Figure 3.6. Connect to Server dialog
Define the following information and click Connect:
- Host Name – the FQDN, short hostname, or the IP address of the remote host
- User Name – your user name on the remote host
- Port Number – 22 is the the default Secure Shell listener port.
With later sessions, the values used in the previous connection are pre-filled.
For information on connecting with Windows domain user names, see Authentication in SSH Tectia Server Administrator's Manual.
The server authentication phase starts. The remote server host will provide your local computer with its host public key. The host key identifies the server host.
SSH Tectia Client checks if this key is already stored in your own host key directory. If not, the host key directory common to all users on your computer is checked next. If the host key is not found, you are asked to verify the new key.
When public-key authentication is used to authenticate the server, the first connection is very important. When SSH Tectia Client receives a new server host key, it will display the host identification message. For example Figure 3.7:
Figure 3.7. Host identification dialog – first connection to a remote host
The message displays the fingerprint of the host's public key in the SSH Babble format that is a series of pronounceable five-letter words in lower case and separated by dashes.
Verify the validity of the fingerprint, preferably by contacting the administrator of the remote host computer by telephone. After verifying the fingerprint, it is safe to save it for future use. You can also choose to cancel the connection, or to proceed with this connection without saving the host's public key.
Click OK to close the host identification dialog.
A copy of the server public key will be stored on the client machine. On SSH Tectia Client (and SSH Tectia Connector), the public key is stored in the "%USERPROFILE%\Application Data\SSH\HostKeys" directory.
After the first connection, the local copy of the server public key will be used in server authentication.
For more information on server authentication, see Server Authentication with Public Keys.
The user authentication phase starts. You will be prompted to authenticate yourself to the server with your password or with the passphrase of your private key. The required authentication method depends on the server settings.
After the server has successfully authenticated you, the Secure Shell connection to the server is opened.