Whether you are doing web development or just need to manage a Linux server, PuTTY and its enhanced fork KiTTY are both great tools to use when you need to connect to a Linux shell command line. While PuTTY is the original and updated more often, KiTTY isn't that far behind, offering several useful enhancements to make your work day a little easier. The following instructions assume you already have WinSCP installed and configured to connect to your Linux server using SFTP over SSH. Here is how you can integrate one of these two into WinSCP:

  1. In Windows, download PuTTY or KiTTY -- main non-portable version and install it. Regardless of which you choose, I recommend you put the files in %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\WinSCP\PuTTY\ or %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\WinSCP\PuTTY\ if you are still using 32-bit Windows. If you choose somewhere else, you will need to modify the command line in the next step.
  2. In WinSCP, when not logged in, click Tools and then Preferences….
  3. Click on Integration > Applications in the left column.
  4. In the Putty/Terminal client path field, add one of the following lines (all on one line):

For PuTTY

 %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\WinSCP\PuTTY\putty.exe -t -m "%TEMP%\putty.txt" !`cmd.exe /c echo cd "!/" ; /bin/bash -login > "%TEMP%\putty.txt"`

For KiTTY

 %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\WinSCP\PuTTY\kitty.exe -load "WinSCP temporary session" -t -m "%TEMP%\putty.txt" !`cmd.exe /c echo cd "!/" ; /bin/bash -login > "%TEMP%\putty.txt"`

(each of these should be together on a single line.)

If you want to be able to open a terminal session without having to enter your password again, check the Remember session password and pass it to PuTTY (SSH) option.

6.  Click the OK button.

You're done! When you open a PuTTY session using the WinSCP icon toolbar or by pressing Ctrl-P, a new terminal window will open and right in the current remote directory folder.

Customizing default PuTTY/KiTTY Settings

Before WinSCP 4.0.5, WinSCP would take the existing "WinSCP temporary session" saved session, if it already existed, and only set the parameters it needed.

However since WinSCP 4.0.5, WinSCP first makes a copy of the Default Settings saved session and then overwrites the parameters it needs.

So, if you want to customize your PuTTY or KiTTY session settings, you will need to:

  1. Launch PuTTY or KiTTY. You will find them in (just press Windows-R and paste this in):
    %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\WinSCP\PuTTY\
    If you are still using 32-bit Windows, it will be:
    %PROGRAMFILES%\WinSCP\PuTTY\
  2. Load the appropriate session settings from the Settings category.
  3. Make any changes you require. For example, you may want to increase columns, rows, and Lines of scrollback in the Window category.
  4. Go back to the Settings category.
  5. Select the appropriate Saved Session.
  6. Click the Save button and then the Cancel button.

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