I have downloaded and installed OpenSSH for Windows. (http://sshwindows.sourceforge.net/download/)

I have managed to set it up and get it running, I am able to use it to SSH from windows to linux. However I have been unable to set up an account properly to SSH from my linux machine to the windows machine.

The server is working as it has taken my RSA key and is asking for a password to sign in with. But I cannot figure out what the password should be or how to set it properly using the commands given in the documentation.

I setup the password file using:

mkpasswd.exe -l > ..\etc\passwd

I set up the groups using:
mkgroup.exe -l ..\etc\group

These files have been created and exist, however i've been unable to sign in. I tried using the User name from the first field in the file and the password from the second field in the file, but it does not work.
Anybody able to assist?
Thank you in advance.

It's been a few years since I ran an SSH Server on Windows but here are a few guides I used when I did it:

http://pigtail.net/LRP/printsrv/cygwin-sshd.html
http://www.netadmintools.com/art516.html

Unfortunately those tutorials took me a step backwards as I now do not have a working ssh server at all. For some reason when trying to configure the ssh-host, it failed to generate the host keys. So now the server will not start.

I think I might go back to OpenSSH for windows, as at least that way I had the server running and was getting prompted for passwords when trying to ssh to the machine, which feels like a step in the right direction.

Thank you anyway for your help.

Be aware that the OpenSSH project has been dead for a few years now and has been replaced by cygwin. Like I said it's been a few years since I ran SSH on windows but I do remember everything going smoothly. Sorry you are having trouble.

Best of luck!

OK, thanks for the advice. I will try some more with OpenSSH, and then try cygwin again if I do not have any success. I just realised that the windows machine I am using as a server is a VM just to add more possible complications!

If I can't sort out OpenSSH I will try and completely remove OpenSSH in case there were conflicts causing cygwin's ssh to fail.

Sorry to split hairs, but for posterity's sake I want to clarify that the "OpenSSH on Windows v3.4-3" is shut down. The actual OpenSSH project is healthy and thriving.

For Windows solutions, see: http://www.openssh.com/windows.html (It refers to cygwin, as you mentioned.)

Ok, thank you both. Anomie, I had realised that is what he had meant as I had read it on their page, but thank you anyway for pointing it out.

I've managed to get SSH running within Cygwin now after properly uninstalling OpenSSH for windows. I assume there must of been a conflict between some of the files.

I just now need to work out how to start a an exe on the windows machine (with arguments) through SSH. Interesting!

Thanks again

Ok, I've been at it all day but I've managed to open a windows application through the SSH connection. I had some issues as the GUI did not display any time I started it through SSH but it worked perfectly from cygwin. (note: i'm not claiming it was running through the SSH, just being started by the linux machine through the SSH)

I used cygstart PROGRAM

What was giving me issues was my permissions. I edited the passwd file to have the same groupid as the SYSTEM.

All I need to do now is figure a way of passing arguments to the program as it opens.