If you have Cygwin installed on a Windows Server, you may want to use it as the default terminal when connecting via SSH. By default, Windows may use OpenSSH, but configuring Cygwin properly ensures a more UNIX-like environment for remote management.

In this post, we will show you a step-by-step process to configure Cygwin as the default shell.

• Configure ssh-host-config in Cygwin
• Follow the SSH Configuration Prompts
• Manage Windows Services
• Final Verification
• Conclusion

Configure ssh-host-config in Cygwin

First, navigate to the Cygwin binaries directory and run the SSH host configuration command.

cd /cygdrive/c/cygwin64/bin
ssh-host-config

Follow the SSH Configuration Prompts

During the configuration, you will be prompted with several options. Select the following:

• Should privilege separation be used?
  • Yes
• Do you want to install sshd as a service?
  • Yes
• Enter the value of CYGWIN for the daemon: ntsec
  • Press Enter (leaving it as the default)

This will configure Cygwin’s OpenSSH daemon cygsshd to run as a Windows service.

Manage Windows Services

Next, ensure that the correct SSH service is running.

• Open the Windows Services Application services.msc.
• Disable the OpenSSH SSH Server service (if installed).
• Ensure that the Cygwin cygsshd service is running.
  • This should have been automatically configured during the installation of the OpenSSH package in Cygwin.

Final Verification

Once these steps are completed, test SSH access to the server. When you connect, it should launch a Cygwin shell instead of the default Windows command prompt.

Conclusion

By configuring Cygwin as the default shell for SSH, you create a more UNIX-like environment on your Windows Server, making remote management easier and more consistent for users familiar with Linux-based systems. This setup ensures that Cygwin’s OpenSSH daemon cygsshd handles incoming SSH connections instead of Windows’ built-in OpenSSH service, preventing conflicts and providing access to the full suite of Cygwin tools.

With this configuration in place, administrators can leverage Cygwin’s shell, utilities, and scripting capabilities seamlessly over SSH, improving workflow efficiency and compatibility with Linux-based automation. Always verify that the correct SSH service is running and periodically check for any service disruptions to maintain a smooth experience.

📝 For more information about Cygwin, please review their official Cygwin Documentation.