Editing Secure Shell (section)

==Uses==
[[File:X11 ssh tunnelling.png|right|250px|thumb|Example of tunneling an [[X11]] application over SSH: the user 'josh' has "SSHed" from the local machine 'foofighter' to the remote machine 'tengwar' to run [[xeyes]].]]
[[File:OpenWrtPuTTY.png|right|250px|thumb|Logging into [[OpenWrt]] via SSH using [[PuTTY]] running on [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]].]]
SSH is a protocol that can be used for many applications across many platforms including most [[Unix]] variants ([[Linux]], the [[BSD]]s including [[Apple Inc|Apple]]'s [[macOS]], and [[Solaris (operating system)|Solaris]]), as well as [[Microsoft Windows]]. Some of the applications below may require features that are only available or compatible with specific SSH clients or servers. For example, using the SSH protocol to implement a [[VPN]] is possible, but presently only with the [[OpenSSH]] server and client implementation.
* For login to a shell on a remote host (replacing [[Telnet]] and [[rlogin]])
* For executing a single command on a remote host (replacing [[Remote shell|rsh]])
* For setting up automatic (passwordless) login to a remote server (for example, using [[OpenSSH]]<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sobell|first1=Mark|title=A Practical Guide to Linux Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming|date=2012|publisher=Prentice Hall|location=Upper Saddle River, NJ|isbn=978-0133085044|pages=702–704|edition=3rd}}</ref>)
* In combination with [[rsync]] to back up, copy and mirror files efficiently and securely
* For [[Port forwarding|forwarding]] a port
* For [[Tunneling protocol|tunneling]] (not to be confused with a [[VPN]], which [[VPN#Routing|routes]] packets between different networks, or [[VPN#OSI Layer 1 services|bridges]] two [[broadcast domain]]s into one).
* For using as a full-fledged encrypted VPN. Note that only [[OpenSSH]] server and client supports this feature.
* For forwarding [[X Window System|X]] from a remote [[Host (network)|host]] (possible through multiple intermediate hosts)
* For browsing the web through an encrypted proxy connection with SSH clients that support the [[SOCKS|SOCKS protocol]].
* For securely mounting a directory on a remote server as a [[File system|filesystem]] on a local computer using [[SSHFS]].
* For automated remote monitoring and management of servers through one or more of the mechanisms discussed above.
* For development on a mobile or embedded device that supports SSH.
* For securing file transfer protocols.

===File transfer protocols===
The Secure Shell protocols are used in several file transfer mechanisms.
* [[Secure copy]] (SCP), which evolved from [[rcp (Unix)|RCP]] protocol over SSH
* [[rsync]], intended to be more efficient than SCP. Generally runs over an SSH connection.
* [[SSH File Transfer Protocol]] (SFTP), a secure alternative to [[File Transfer Protocol|FTP]] (not to be confused with [[FTP over SSH]] or [[FTPS]])
* [[Files transferred over shell protocol]] (FISH), released in 1998, which evolved from [[Unix shell]] commands over SSH
* [[Fast and Secure Protocol]] (FASP), aka ''Aspera'', uses SSH for control and UDP ports for data transfer.