Work on Two Computers? Set Up An SSH Server to Make Things Easier!
I use more than one computer: I use my desktop computer for anything while I’m in the house, and my laptop for anything while I am out - usually for taking notes at a class.
If you are like me, an SSH Server on your desktop computer will make your life a lot easier.
Here’s what setting up an SSH server can do for you:
- Minimize the number of steps required to access “outside” data from my “inside” computer.
- This means you can save time by getting to your work faster. Instead of throwing files on a USB drive, sending through email, or sharing a directory on a network, all your files will instantly be accessible.
- Minimize the amount of data actually stored on the “outside” laptop.
- You’ll never have to worry about sensitive data on your laptop again. If your laptop is stolen, there will be relatively nothing valuable on it. It will all be on your SSH server.
- Maintain only one single copy of the data.
- Find yourself rummaging through different versions of work because of all the copying that comes with working on two computers? A personal SSH server will keep one, and only one, copy of your data, so version control is no longer a necessity.
Here’s a How-To to get it running:
(1) Download and install freeSHHd from http://www.freesshd.com/. At the end of the installation:
- Click “Yes” when it asks if you want to create private keys. This is for connection authentication.
- Click “Yes” when it asks if you want to run as a system service. This is so it will always be running.
(2) The server will be automatically run. Right click on the icon that appears in your taskbar and click on ‘Settings’.
(3) We have to add a user. Click on the ‘Users’ tab in the window that pops up.
(4) Click on the “Add…” button.
(5) Fill in all the required information. I recommend using your name for the Login, leaving Authorization as “NT authentication”, and selecting all three check-boxes as this is your “master” user. Your password will be the same password that you use to login to Windows. Then click OK. Your server is now up and running! Click OK on the bottom of the window to exit the settings screen.
(6) Next, we need to make sure we can access the server from other computers. If you are behind a router, make sure you are forwarding port 22. Not sure how to forward ports? Check out portforward.com for complete assistance.
(7) Visit www.WhatIsMyIP.com and write down the number given there. Keep it on a piece of paper in your wallet or save it onto your cell-phone. This is the address you will use to connect to the SSH server from other computers.
(8) Finally, all we need is some software to access the server from our outside computers. I currently recommend WinSCP because it’s free and allows you to choose your own text editor. Download it here. Install it. Run it.
(9) When you first open WinSCP, click the New button.
(10) In the Host Name field, type the number that you recorded earlier. In the User name field, put in the user name that you created on your SSH server. Fill in the password field with the same password that you use to login to Windows. Leave everything else the same and click Login. You can also save this session information for later use by clicking Save….
(11) The first time you connect to your SSH server, you will be asked if you “trust this host”. Just click Yes.
(12) All Done! You now have a secure connection to your home computer from any other computer with an SSH client. Open any file you want with whichever program you choose!
My favorite and most popular use for my SSH server is note-taking. Instead of taking notes on my laptop and then later sending them or sharing them to get them to my home computer, I just work directly on it from any location. Thus, I have only one copy to worry about and it’s always at my fingertips.
Image by justin
ok i’ll bite, what is a ssh server? or should we know this already before reading…
Thanks for your question Concerned Individual.
Not to get too technical and in light of the utility of this article, an ssh server is simply a n application used to make the synchronization of data between two machines easier and more efficient.
Hope to see you around again,
Tim Bridge
thanks for sharing, great thing to have
Ok, quick question! I would love to try this out but what exactly do we have to install on our desktops and what do we need for our laptops? Or is this all done on the desktop? Just need a little clarification, thanks!
Hi John,
Simply download freeSHHd as indicated in the first link. Run this on your desktop.
Then download any SSH Client of your choice. Two viable options are WinSCP and Putty. Run this on your laptop.
Hope to see you again!
Tim
Thanks, the images really made it easier to learn.
DOTTED:
http://www.newsdots.com/tutorials/work-on-two-computers-set-up-an-ssh-server-to-make-things-easier-personadev/
Two computers? Have you heard of dual booting? Why would you have more than one computer? Look at me I need hundreds of dollars worth of equipment in from of me to take notes. Here’s an idea, stop squandering everything.
Well, the most obvious example is a laptop and desktop. Many people use laptops at work or school and like to synchronize their files with their desktop. There are other possibilities as well like a family computer and personal computers for each member in the family.
hi.
do you think this will also work between a pc and a mac book?
e.
Would this work if the server was running say Ubuntu, or another Linux distro?
Hi Eva and PCUSer,
The use of an SSH server is definately possible across platforms.
However, it will require different software for each operating system (Mac or Linux)
This tutorial does not cover software for these platforms.
Here are a few sources you may be interested in glancing over to see if they meet your requirements:
For Mac to Windows:
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66399
For Linux to Windows:
http://suso.org/docs/shell/ssh.sdf
http://www.mines.edu/~gmurray/HowTo/sshNotes.html
Thanks for visiting,
Tim
I get this error when trying to start the server:
Error, the specified address is already in use
the telnet server works fine though… thanks a lot for the tutorial.
sincerely, Zanshin
Hmm, unless you’re a command line junkie, you’d probably prefer using VNC instead. Download and install http://www.tightvnc.com/ , and try that… not only will it allow you to access your desktop apps, but everything will be just as you left it from your last session.
Once you’re more advanced, I’d suggest installing cygwin from http://www.cygwin.com/ and installing the openssh package from there instead. After installation, open a cygwin console and run “ssh-host-config” as an administrator and answer the few questions. Now you can ssh into our windows box and have a real shell that works just like the ones under *NIX and OS X. And you can still run cmd.exe if you really want DOS for some reason.
Another fine reason to have linux on your desktop.
Step 1:Install linux.
Step 2:/etc/init.d/sshd start
Done.
I have used SSH for the last 8 years to connect to my home machine. It is great and secure. If you like the drag and drop interface winscp.
One thing that I use is No-ip.com I use their free service to keep my computer name the same and not need the ip address saved to connect. Many home cable/dsl routers will even keep it updated having the software built for no-ip.com and for dyndns.com both with give your computer a name.
A word of caution, make sure you have a secure username and password, I am constantly being hit by brute force attacks. It is not hard for people to scan for an active ssh server and use a common password list to attack
Can you use this program to work on the same thing but on 2 computers?
Like if my friend and i is both writing on the same word doc, then i can see it on my screen and he can see what i write on hes screen-+?
@Kenneth… Try google docs.
Sshwindows is based on cygwin with a much easier setup also dyndns and the updater client are good choice for people who don’t have statics
Nice guidelines
What if your home ISP blocks port 22? Might also want to add port forwarding to this guide.
Peter: I agree with you about Linux, and perhaps this is for a different discussion area, but I have run Ubuntu on two different computers in the past and after one day I was unable to connect to my wireless router. I ended up going back to XP but really want to be able to run Linux instead.
I definitely am going to give the SSH a shot though.
I tried to use this combo of server and client but during login I got “Access Denied” from freeSSHd. Using Cygwin with openssh as a server I succeeded in logging in.
My question:
How do I proceed to work transparently on my files at home?
Thanks in advance!