How to Check if OpenSSH is Installed

OpenSSH provides essential tools for secure remote system access. This guide covers how to verify OpenSSH installation across different operating systems.

Windows Systems

On Windows Server and modern Windows versions, OpenSSH client and OpenSSH server are available as optional features. Ensure your device runs at least Windows Server 2019 or Windows 10 (build 1809) to proceed with the steps outlined in this guide. Make sure you have an account that is a member of the built-in Administrators group to perform the necessary validations and commands. To check their installation status, run PowerShell with administrative privileges and execute the following command:

Get-WindowsCapability -Online | Where-Object Name -like ‘OpenSSH*’

If the OpenSSH client is installed, you should see the installation state of the OpenSSH client component. Ensuring you have the OpenSSH client installed is crucial for accessing SSH-related utilities.

Linux Systems

On Linux machines, several methods can verify the OpenSSH installation. Check package status:

systemctl status sshd

Verify the SSH server process:

dpkg -l | grep openssh

Test SSH functionality:

ssh localhost

Using the ssh command, you can test the SSH functionality by connecting to localhost. The OpenSSH server package is typically named openssh-server , while the client package is openssh-client . Most Linux distributions include the client by default, but it is essential to ensure you have the OpenSSH client installed.

Checking SSH Server Status

To ensure your SSH server is running correctly on Windows, follow these steps: Open an elevated PowerShell session and run the following command:

Get-Service sshd

If the SSH server is running, you should see the following output:

Status Name DisplayName
---
Running sshd OpenSSH SSH Server

To check the SSH server status on a remote machine, use the following command:

ssh user@remote_machine "Get-Service sshd"

Replace user with your username and remote_machine with the hostname or IP address of the remote machine. If the SSH server is not running, you can start it using the following command:

Start-Service sshd

By following these steps, you can ensure that your SSH server is up and running, providing secure access to your remote machines.

Installation Process

If OpenSSH isn't installed: Windows machine: 1. Open PowerShell as Administrator 2. Install via:

Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name OpenSSH.Server~~~~0.0.1.0

Linux machine:

sudo apt-get install openssh-server

After installation, configure authentication settings and verify the service is running on the default port (22).

Security Considerations

- Always change default settings for secure access - Configure key-based authentication - Regularly update OpenSSH to the latest version - Monitor TCP connections on port 22