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1 | \C{config} Configuring PuTTY |
2 | |
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3 | This chapter describes all the configuration options in PuTTY. |
4 | |
5 | PuTTY is configured using the control panel that comes up before you |
6 | start a session. Some options can also be changed in the middle of a |
7 | session, by selecting \e{Change Settings} from the window menu. |
8 | |
9 | \H{config-session} The Session panel |
10 | |
11 | The Session configuration panel contains the basic options you need |
12 | to specify in order to open a session at all, and also allows you to |
13 | save your settings to be reloaded later. |
14 | |
15 | \S{config-hostname} The host name section |
16 | |
17 | The top box on the Session panel, labelled \q{Specify your |
18 | connection by host name}, contains the details that need to be |
19 | filled in before PuTTY can open a session at all. |
20 | |
21 | \b The \e{Host Name} box is where you type the name, or the IP |
22 | address, of the server you want to connect to. |
23 | |
24 | \b The \e{Protocol} radio buttons let you choose what type of |
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25 | connection you want to make: a raw connection, a Telnet connection, an |
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26 | rlogin connection or an SSH connection. (See \k{which-one} for a |
27 | summary of the differences between SSH, Telnet and rlogin.) |
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28 | |
29 | \b The \e{Port} box lets you specify which port number on the server |
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30 | to connect to. If you select Telnet, Rlogin, or SSH, this box will be |
31 | filled in automatically to the usual value, and you will only need to |
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32 | change it if you have an unusual server. If you select Raw mode, you |
33 | will almost certainly need to fill in the \e{Port} box. |
34 | |
35 | \S{config-saving} Loading and storing saved sessions |
36 | |
37 | The next part of the Session configuration panel allows you to save |
38 | your preferred PuTTY options so they will appear automatically the |
39 | next time you start PuTTY. It also allows you to create \e{saved |
40 | sessions}, which contain a full set of configuration options plus a |
41 | host name and protocol. A saved session contains all the information |
42 | PuTTY needs to start exactly the session you want. |
43 | |
44 | \b To save your default settings: first set up the settings the way |
45 | you want them saved. Then come back to the Session panel. Select the |
46 | \q{Default Settings} entry in the saved sessions list, with a single |
47 | click. Then press the \e{Save} button. |
48 | |
49 | \b To save a session: first go through the rest of the configuration |
50 | box setting up all the options you want. Then come back to the |
51 | Session panel. Enter a name for the saved session in the \e{Saved |
52 | Sessions} input box. (The server name is often a good choice for a |
53 | saved session name.) Then press the \e{Save} button. Your saved |
54 | session name should now appear in the list box. |
55 | |
56 | \b To reload a saved session: single-click to select the session |
57 | name in the list box, and then press the \e{Load} button. Your saved |
58 | settings should all appear in the configuration panel. |
59 | |
60 | \b To modify a saved session: first load it as described above. Then |
61 | make the changes you want. Come back to the Session panel, |
62 | single-click to select the session name in the list box, and press |
63 | the \e{Save} button. The new settings will be saved over the top of |
64 | the old ones. |
65 | |
66 | \b To start a saved session immediately: double-click on the session |
67 | name in the list box. |
68 | |
69 | \b To delete a saved session: single-click to select the session |
70 | name in the list box, and then press the \e{Delete} button. |
71 | |
72 | Each saved session is independent of the Default Settings |
73 | configuration. If you change your preferences and update Default |
74 | Settings, you must also update every saved session separately. |
75 | |
76 | \S{config-closeonexit} \q{Close Window on Exit} |
77 | |
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78 | Finally in the Session panel, there is an option labelled \q{Close |
79 | Window on Exit}. This controls whether the PuTTY session window |
80 | disappears as soon as the session inside it terminates. If you are |
81 | likely to want to copy and paste text out of the session after it |
82 | has terminated, you should arrange this option to be off. |
83 | |
84 | \q{Close Window On Exit} has three settings. \q{Always} means always |
85 | close the window on exit; \q{Never} means never close on exit |
86 | (always leave the window open). The third setting, and the default |
87 | one, is \q{Only on clean exit}. In this mode, a session which |
88 | terminates normally will cause its window to close, but one which is |
89 | aborted unexpectedly by network trouble or a confusing message from |
90 | the server will leave the window up. |
91 | |
92 | \H{config-logging} The Logging panel |
93 | |
94 | The Logging configuration panel allows you to save log files of your |
95 | PuTTY sessions, for debugging, analysis or future reference. |
96 | |
97 | The main option is a radio-button set that specifies whether PuTTY |
98 | will log anything at all. The options are |
99 | |
100 | \b \q{Logging turned off completely}. This is the default option; in |
101 | this mode PuTTY will not create a log file at all. |
102 | |
103 | \b \q{Log printable output only}. In this mode, a log file will be |
104 | created and written to, but only printable text will be saved into |
105 | it. The various terminal control codes that are typically sent down |
106 | an interactive session alongside the printable text will be omitted. |
107 | This might be a useful mode if you want to read a log file in a text |
108 | editor and hope to be able to make sense of it. |
109 | |
110 | \b \q{Log all session output}. In this mode, \e{everything} sent by |
111 | the server into your terminal session is logged. If you view the log |
112 | file in a text editor, therefore, you may well find it full of |
113 | strange control characters. This is a particularly useful mode if |
114 | you are experiencing problems with PuTTY's terminal handling: you |
115 | can record everything that went to the terminal, so that someone |
116 | else can replay the session later in slow motion and watch to see |
117 | what went wrong. |
118 | |
119 | \S{config-logfilename} \q{Log file name} |
120 | |
121 | In this edit box you enter the name of the file you want to log the |
122 | session to. The \q{Browse} button will let you look around your file |
123 | system to find the right place to put the file; or if you already |
124 | know exactly where you want it to go, you can just type a pathname |
125 | into the edit box. |
126 | |
127 | There are a few special features in this box. If you use the \c{&} |
128 | character in the file name box, PuTTY will insert details of the |
129 | current session in the name of the file it actually opens. The |
130 | precise replacements it will do are: |
131 | |
132 | \b \c{&Y} will be replaced by the current year, as four digits. |
133 | |
134 | \b \c{&M} will be replaced by the current month, as two digits. |
135 | |
136 | \b \c{&D} will be replaced by the current day of the month, as two |
137 | digits. |
138 | |
139 | \b \c{&T} will be replaced by the current time, as six digits |
140 | (HHMMSS) with no punctuation. |
141 | |
142 | \b \c{&H} will be replaced by the host name you are connecting to. |
143 | |
144 | For example, if you enter the host name |
145 | \c{c:\\puttylogs\\log-&h-&y&m&d-&t.dat}, you will end up with files looking |
146 | like |
147 | |
148 | \c log-server1.example.com-20010528-110859.dat |
149 | \c log-unixbox.somewhere.org-20010611-221001.dat |
150 | |
151 | \S{config-logfileexists} \q{What to do if the log file already exists} |
152 | |
153 | This control allows you to specify what PuTTY should do if it tries |
154 | to start writing to a log file and it finds the file already exists. |
155 | You might want to automatically destroy the existing log file and |
156 | start a new one with the same name. Alternatively, you might want to |
157 | open the existing log file and add data to the \e{end} of it. |
158 | Finally (the default option), you might not want to have any |
159 | automatic behaviour, but to ask the user every time the problem |
160 | comes up. |
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161 | |
162 | \H{config-terminal} The Terminal panel |
163 | |
164 | The Terminal configuration panel allows you to control the behaviour |
165 | of PuTTY's terminal emulation. |
166 | |
167 | \S{config-autowrap} \q{Auto wrap mode initially on} |
168 | |
169 | Auto wrap mode controls what happens when text printed in a PuTTY |
170 | window reaches the right-hand edge of the window. |
171 | |
172 | With auto wrap mode on, if a long line of text reaches the |
173 | right-hand edge, it will wrap over on to the next line so you can |
174 | still see all the text. With auto wrap mode off, the cursor will |
175 | stay at the right-hand edge of the screen, and all the characters in |
176 | the line will be printed on top of each other. |
177 | |
178 | If you are running a full-screen application and you occasionally |
179 | find the screen scrolling up when it looks as if it shouldn't, you |
180 | could try turning this option off. |
181 | |
182 | Auto wrap mode can be turned on and off by control sequences sent by |
183 | the server. This configuration option only controls the \e{default} |
184 | state. If you modify this option in mid-session using \e{Change |
185 | Settings}, you will need to reset the terminal \#{ FIXME } before |
186 | the change takes effect. |
187 | |
188 | \S{config-decom} \q{DEC Origin Mode initially on} |
189 | |
190 | DEC Origin Mode is a minor option which controls how PuTTY |
191 | interprets cursor-position control sequences sent by the server. |
192 | |
193 | The server can send a control sequence that restricts the scrolling |
194 | region of the display. For example, in an editor, the server might |
195 | reserve a line at the top of the screen and a line at the bottom, |
196 | and might send a control sequence that causes scrolling operations |
197 | to affect only the remaining lines. |
198 | |
199 | With DEC Origin Mode on, cursor coordinates are counted from the top |
200 | of the scrolling region. With it turned off, cursor coordinates are |
201 | counted from the top of the whole screen regardless of the scrolling |
202 | region. |
203 | |
204 | It is unlikely you would need to change this option, but if you find |
205 | a full-screen application is displaying pieces of text in what looks |
206 | like the wrong part of the screen, you could try turning DEC Origin |
207 | Mode on to see whether that helps. |
208 | |
209 | DEC Origin Mode can be turned on and off by control sequences sent by |
210 | the server. This configuration option only controls the \e{default} |
211 | state. If you modify this option in mid-session using \e{Change |
212 | Settings}, you will need to reset the terminal \#{ FIXME } before |
213 | the change takes effect. |
214 | |
215 | \S{config-crlf} \q{Implicit CR in every LF} |
216 | |
217 | Most servers send two control characters, CR and LF, to start a new |
218 | line of the screen. The CR character makes the cursor return to the |
219 | left-hand side of the screen. The LF character makes the cursor move |
220 | one line down (and might make the screen scroll). |
221 | |
222 | Some servers only send LF, and expect the terminal to move the |
223 | cursor over to the left automatically. If you come across a server |
224 | that does this, you will see a stepped effect on the screen, like |
225 | this: |
226 | |
227 | \c First line of text |
228 | \c Second line |
229 | \c Third line |
230 | |
231 | If this happens to you, try enabling the \q{Implicit CR in every LF} |
232 | option, and things might go back to normal: |
233 | |
234 | \c First line of text |
235 | \c Second line |
236 | \c Third line |
237 | |
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238 | \S{config-erase} \q{Use background colour to erase screen} |
239 | |
240 | Not all terminals agree on what colour to turn the screen when the |
241 | server sends a \q{clear screen} sequence. Some terminals believe the |
242 | screen should always be cleared to the \e{default} background |
243 | colour. Others believe the screen should be cleared to whatever the |
244 | server has selected as a background colour. |
245 | |
246 | There exist applications that expect both kinds of behaviour. |
247 | Therefore, PuTTY can be configured to do either. |
248 | |
249 | With this option disabled, screen clearing is always done in the |
250 | default background colour. With this option enabled, it is done in |
251 | the \e{current} background colour. |
252 | |
253 | \S{config-blink} \q{Enable blinking text} |
254 | |
255 | The server can ask PuTTY to display text that blinks on and off. |
256 | This is very distracting, so PuTTY allows you to turn blinking text |
257 | off completely. |
258 | |
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259 | \S{config-localecho} \q{Local echo} |
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260 | |
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261 | With local echo disabled, characters you type into the PuTTY window |
262 | are not echoed in the window \e{by PuTTY}. They are simply sent to |
263 | the server. (The \e{server} might choose to echo them back to you; |
264 | this can't be controlled from the PuTTY control panel.) |
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265 | |
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266 | Some types of session need local echo, and many do not. In its |
267 | default mode, PuTTY will automatically attempt to deduce whether or |
268 | not local echo is appropriate for the session you are working in. If |
269 | you find it has made the wrong decision, you can use this |
270 | configuration option to override its choice: you can force local |
271 | echo to be turned on, or force it to be turned off, instead of |
272 | relying on the automatic detection. |
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273 | |
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274 | \S{config-localedit} \q{Local line editing} |
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275 | |
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276 | Normally, every character you type into the PuTTY window is sent |
277 | immediately to the server the moment you type it. |
278 | |
279 | If you enable local line editing, this changes. PuTTY will let you |
280 | edit a whole line at a time locally, and the line will only be sent |
281 | to the server when you press Return. If you make a mistake, you can |
282 | use the Backspace key to correct it before you press Return, and the |
283 | server will never see the mistake. |
284 | |
285 | Since it is hard to edit a line locally without being able to see |
286 | it, local line editing is mostly used in conjunction with local echo |
287 | (\k{config-localecho}). This makes it ideal for use in raw mode |
288 | \#{FIXME} or when connecting to MUDs or talkers. (Although some more |
289 | advanced MUDs do occasionally turn local line editing on and turn |
290 | local echo off, in order to accept a password from the user.) |
291 | |
292 | Some types of session need local line editing, and many do not. In |
293 | its default mode, PuTTY will automatically attempt to deduce whether |
294 | or not local line editing is appropriate for the session you are |
295 | working in. If you find it has made the wrong decision, you can use |
296 | this configuration option to override its choice: you can force |
297 | local line editing to be turned on, or force it to be turned off, |
298 | instead of relying on the automatic detection. |
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299 | |
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300 | \H{config-bell} The Bell panel |
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301 | |
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302 | The Bell panel controls the terminal bell feature: the server's |
303 | ability to cause PuTTY to beep at you. |
304 | |
305 | In the default configuration, when the server sends the character |
306 | with ASCII code 7 (Control-G), PuTTY will play the Windows Default |
307 | Beep sound. This is not always what you want the terminal bell |
308 | feature to do; the Bell panel allows you to configure alternative |
309 | actions. |
310 | |
311 | \S{config-bellstyle} \q{Set the style of bell} |
312 | |
313 | This control allows you to select various different actions to occur |
314 | on a terminal bell: |
315 | |
316 | \b Selecting \q{None} disables the bell completely. In this mode, |
317 | the server can send as many Control-G characters as it likes and |
318 | nothing at all will happen. |
319 | |
320 | \b \q{Play Windows Default Sound} is the default setting. It causes |
321 | the Windows \q{Default Beep} sound to be played. To change what this |
322 | sound is, or to test it if nothing seems to be happening, use the |
323 | Sound configurer in the Windows Control Panel. |
324 | |
325 | \b \q{Play a custom sound file} allows you to specify a particular |
326 | sound file to be used by PuTTY alone, or even by a particular |
327 | individual PuTTY session. This allows you to distinguish your PuTTY |
328 | beeps from any other beeps on the system. If you select this option, |
329 | you will also need to enter the name of your sound file in the edit |
330 | control \q{Custom sound file to play as a bell}. |
331 | |
332 | \b \q{Visual bell} is a silent alternative to a beeping computer. In |
333 | this mode, when the server sends a Control-G, the whole PuTTY window |
334 | will flash white for a fraction of a second. |
335 | |
336 | \S{config-belltaskbar} \q{Taskbar/caption indication on bell} |
337 | |
338 | This feature controls what happens to the PuTTY window's entry in |
339 | the Windows Taskbar if a bell occurs while the window does not have |
340 | the input focus. |
341 | |
342 | In the default state (\q{Disabled}) nothing unusual happens. |
343 | |
344 | If you select \q{Steady}, then when a bell occurs and the window is |
345 | not in focus, the window's Taskbar entry and its title bar will |
346 | change colour to let you know that PuTTY session is asking for your |
347 | attention. The change of colour will persist until you select the |
348 | window, so you can leave several PuTTY windows minimised in your |
349 | terminal, go away from your keyboard, and be sure not to have missed |
350 | any important beeps when you get back. |
351 | |
352 | \q{Flashing} is even more eye-catching: the Taskbar entry will |
353 | continuously flash on and off until you select the window. |
354 | |
355 | \S{config-bellovl} \q{Control the bell overload behaviour} |
356 | |
357 | A common user error in a terminal session is to accidentally run the |
358 | Unix command \c{cat} (or equivalent) on an inappropriate file type, |
359 | such as an executable, image file, or ZIP file. This produces a huge |
360 | stream of non-text characters sent to the terminal, which typically |
361 | includes a lot of bell characters. As a result of this the terminal |
362 | often doesn't stop beeping for ten minutes, and everybody else in |
363 | the office gets annoyed. |
364 | |
365 | To try to avoid this behaviour, or any other cause of excessive |
366 | beeping, PuTTY includes a bell overload management feature. In the |
367 | default configuration, receiving more than five bell characters in a |
368 | two-second period will cause the overload feature to activate. Once |
369 | the overload feature is active, further bells will have no effect at |
370 | all, so the rest of your binary file will be sent to the screen in |
371 | silence. After a period of five seconds during which no further |
372 | bells are received, the overload feature will turn itself off again |
373 | and bells will be re-enabled. |
374 | |
375 | If you want this feature completely disabled, you can turn it off |
376 | using the checkbox \q{Bell is temporarily disabled when over-used}. |
377 | |
378 | Alternatively, if you like the bell overload feature but don't agree |
379 | with the settings, you can configure the details: how many bells |
380 | constitute an overload, how short a time period they have to arrive |
381 | in to do so, and how much silent time is required before the |
382 | overload feature will deactivate itself. |
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383 | |
384 | \H{config-keyboard} The Keyboard panel |
385 | |
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386 | The Keyboard configuration panel allows you to control the behaviour |
387 | of the keyboard in PuTTY. |
388 | |
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389 | \S{config-backspace} Changing the action of the Backspace key |
390 | |
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391 | Some terminals believe that the Backspace key should send the same |
392 | thing to the server as Control-H (ASCII code 8). Other terminals |
393 | believe that the Backspace key should send ASCII code 127 (usually |
394 | known as Control-?) so that it can be distinguished from Control-H. |
395 | This option allows you to choose which code PuTTY generates when you |
396 | press Backspace. |
397 | |
398 | If you are connecting to a Unix system, you will probably find that |
399 | the Unix \c{stty} command lets you configure which the server |
400 | expects to see, so you might not need to change which one PuTTY |
401 | generates. On other systems, the server's expectation might be fixed |
402 | and you might have no choice but to configure PuTTY. |
403 | |
404 | If you do have the choice, we recommend configuring PuTTY to |
405 | generate Control-? and configuring the server to expect it, because |
406 | that allows applications such as \c{emacs} to use Control-H for |
407 | help. |
408 | |
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409 | \S{config-homeend} Changing the action of the Home and End keys |
410 | |
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411 | The Unix terminal emulator \c{rxvt} disagrees with the rest of the |
412 | world about what character sequences should be sent to the server by |
413 | the Home and End keys. |
414 | |
415 | \c{xterm}, and other terminals, send \c{ESC [1~} for the Home key, |
416 | and \c{ESC [4~} for the End key. \c{rxvt} sends \c{ESC [H} for the |
417 | Home key and \c{ESC [Ow} for the End key. |
418 | |
419 | If you find an application on which the Home and End keys aren't |
420 | working, you could try switching this option to see if it helps. |
421 | |
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422 | \S{config-funkeys} Changing the action of the function keys and keypad |
423 | |
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424 | This option affects the function keys (F1 to F12) and the top row of |
425 | the numeric keypad. |
426 | |
427 | \b In the default mode, labelled \c{ESC [n~}, the function keys |
428 | generate sequences like \c{ESC [11~}, \c{ESC [12~} and so on. This |
429 | matches the general behaviour of Digital's terminals. |
430 | |
431 | \b In Linux mode, F6 to F12 behave just like the default mode, but |
432 | F1 to F5 generate \c{ESC [[A} through to \c{ESC [[E}. This mimics the |
433 | Linux virtual console. |
434 | |
435 | \b In Xterm R6 mode, F5 to F12 behave like the default mode, but F1 |
436 | to F4 generate \c{ESC OP} through to \c{ESC OS}, which are the |
437 | sequences produced by the top row of the \e{keypad} on Digital's |
438 | terminals. |
439 | |
440 | \b In VT400 mode, all the function keys behave like the default |
441 | mode, but the actual top row of the numeric keypad generates \c{ESC |
442 | OP} through to \c{ESC OS}. |
443 | |
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444 | \b In VT100+ mode, the function keys generate \c{ESC OP} through to |
445 | \c{ESC O[} |
446 | |
447 | \b In SCO mode, the function keys F1 to F12 generate \c{ESC [M} |
448 | through to \c{ESC [X}. Together with shift, they generate \c{ESC [Y} |
449 | through to \c{ESC [j}. With control they generate \c{ESC [k} through |
450 | to \c{ESC [v}, and with shift and control together they generate |
451 | \c{ESC [w} through to \c{ESC [\{}. |
452 | |
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453 | If you don't know what any of this means, you probably don't need to |
454 | fiddle with it. |
455 | |
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456 | \S{config-appcursor} Controlling Application Cursor Keys mode |
457 | |
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458 | Application Cursor Keys mode is a way for the server to change the |
459 | control sequences sent by the arrow keys. In normal mode, the arrow |
460 | keys send \c{ESC [A} through to \c{ESC [D}. In application mode, |
461 | they send \c{ESC OA} through to \c{ESC OD}. |
462 | |
463 | Application Cursor Keys mode can be turned on and off by the server, |
464 | depending on the application. PuTTY allows you to configure the |
465 | initial state, and also allows you to disable application mode |
466 | completely. |
467 | |
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468 | \S{config-appkeypad} Controlling Application Keypad mode |
469 | |
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470 | Application Keypad mode is a way for the server to change the |
471 | behaviour of the numeric keypad. |
472 | |
473 | In normal mode, the keypad behaves like a normal Windows keypad: |
474 | with NumLock on, the number keys generate numbers, and with NumLock |
475 | off they act like the arrow keys and Home, End etc. |
476 | |
477 | In application mode, all the keypad keys send special control |
478 | sequences, \e{including} Num Lock. Num Lock stops behaving like Num |
479 | Lock and becomes another function key. |
480 | |
481 | Depending on which version of Windows you run, you may find the Num |
482 | Lock light still flashes on and off every time you press Num Lock, |
483 | even when application mode is active and Num Lock is acting like a |
484 | function key. This is unavoidable. |
485 | |
486 | Application keypad mode can be turned on and off by the server, |
487 | depending on the application. PuTTY allows you to configure the |
488 | initial state, and also allows you to disable application mode |
489 | completely. |
490 | |
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491 | \S{config-nethack} Using NetHack keypad mode |
492 | |
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493 | PuTTY has a special mode for playing NetHack. You can enable it by |
494 | selecting \q{NetHack} in the \q{Initial state of numeric keypad} |
495 | control. |
496 | |
497 | In this mode, the numeric keypad keys 1-9 generate the NetHack |
498 | movement commands (\cw{hjklyubn}). The 5 key generates the \c{.} |
499 | command (do nothing). |
500 | |
501 | Better still, pressing Shift with the keypad keys generates the |
502 | capital forms of the commands (\cw{HJKLYUBN}), which tells NetHack |
503 | to keep moving you in the same direction until you encounter |
504 | something interesting. |
505 | |
506 | For some reason, this feature only works properly when Num Lock is |
507 | on. We don't know why. |
508 | |
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509 | \S{config-compose} Enabling a DEC-like Compose key |
510 | |
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511 | DEC terminals have a Compose key, which provides an easy-to-remember |
512 | way of typing accented characters. You press Compose and then type |
513 | two more characters. The two characters are \q{combined} to produce |
514 | an accented character. The choices of character are designed to be |
515 | easy to remember; for example, composing \q{e} and \q{`} produces |
516 | the \q{\u00e8{e-grave}} character. |
517 | |
518 | If you enable the \q{Application and AltGr act as Compose key} |
519 | option, the Windows Application key and the AltGr key will both have |
520 | this behaviour. |
521 | |
add788fc |
522 | \S{config-ctrlalt} \q{Control-Alt is different from AltGr} |
b5752f1b |
523 | |
add788fc |
524 | Some old keyboards do not have an AltGr key, which can make it |
525 | difficult to type some characters. PuTTY can be configured to treat |
526 | the key combination Ctrl + Left Alt the same way as the AltGr key. |
b5752f1b |
527 | |
add788fc |
528 | By default, this checkbox is checked, and the key combination Ctrl + |
529 | Left Alt does something completely different. PuTTY's usual handling |
530 | of the left Alt key is to prefix the Escape (Control-\cw{[}) |
531 | character to whatever character sequence the rest of the keypress |
532 | would generate. For example, Alt-A generates Escape followed by |
533 | \c{a}. So Alt-Ctrl-A would generate Escape, followed by Control-A. |
b5752f1b |
534 | |
add788fc |
535 | If you uncheck this box, Ctrl-Alt will become a synonym for AltGr, |
536 | so you can use it to type extra graphic characters if your keyboard |
537 | has any. |
b5752f1b |
538 | |
55ba634a |
539 | \H{config-window} The Window panel |
540 | |
1630bb61 |
541 | The Window configuration panel allows you to control aspects of the |
542 | PuTTY window and its behaviour. |
543 | |
55ba634a |
544 | \S{config-winsize} Setting the size of the PuTTY window |
545 | |
1630bb61 |
546 | The \e{Rows} and \e{Columns} boxes let you set the PuTTY window to a |
547 | precise size. Of course you can also drag the window to a new size |
548 | while a session is running. |
549 | |
add788fc |
550 | \S{config-winsizelock} Locking the size of the PuTTY window |
551 | |
552 | These options allow you to control what happens when the user tries |
553 | to resize the PuTTY window. |
554 | |
555 | When you resize the PuTTY window, one of three things can happen: |
556 | |
557 | \b Nothing (if you have completely disabled resizes). |
558 | |
559 | \b The font size can stay the same and the number of rows and |
560 | columns in the terminal can change. |
561 | |
562 | \b The number of rows and columns in the terminal can stay the same, |
563 | and the font size can change. |
564 | |
565 | You can control which of these happens using the \q{Lock terminal |
566 | size against resizing} and \q{Lock font size against resizing} |
567 | options. If you lock both, the window will refuse to be resized at |
568 | all. If you lock just the terminal size, the font size will change |
569 | when you resize the window. If you lock just the font size, the |
570 | terminal size will change when you resize the window. |
1630bb61 |
571 | |
55ba634a |
572 | \S{config-scrollback} Controlling scrollback |
573 | |
1630bb61 |
574 | Text that scrolls off the top of the PuTTY terminal window is kept |
575 | for reference. The scrollbar on the right of the window lets you |
576 | view the scrolled-off text. You can also page through the scrollback |
577 | using the keyboard, by pressing Shift-PgUp and Shift-PgDn. |
578 | |
579 | The \q{Lines of scrollback} box lets you configure how many lines of |
580 | text PuTTY keeps. The \q{Display scrollbar} option allows you to |
581 | hide the scrollbar (although you can still view the scrollback using |
582 | Shift-PgUp and Shift-PgDn). |
583 | |
584 | If you are viewing part of the scrollback when the server sends more |
585 | text to PuTTY, the screen will revert to showing the current |
586 | terminal contents. You can disable this behaviour by turning off |
587 | \q{Reset scrollback on display activity}. You can also make the |
588 | screen revert when you press a key, by turning on \q{Reset |
589 | scrollback on keypress}. |
590 | |
55ba634a |
591 | \S{config-warnonclose} \q{Warn before closing window} |
592 | |
1630bb61 |
593 | If you press the Close button in a PuTTY window that contains a |
594 | running session, PuTTY will put up a warning window asking if you |
595 | really meant to close the window. A window whose session has already |
596 | terminated can always be closed without a warning. |
597 | |
598 | If you want to be able to close a window quickly, you can disable |
599 | the \q{Warn before closing window} option. |
600 | |
55ba634a |
601 | \S{config-altf4} \q{Window closes on ALT-F4} |
602 | |
1630bb61 |
603 | By default, pressing ALT-F4 causes the window to close (or a warning |
604 | box to appear; see \k{config-warnonclose}). If you disable the |
605 | \q{Window closes on ALT-F4} option, then pressing ALT-F4 will simply |
606 | send a key sequence to the server. |
607 | |
55ba634a |
608 | \S{config-altspace} \q{System menu appears on ALT-Space} |
609 | |
1630bb61 |
610 | If this option is enabled, then pressing ALT-Space will bring up the |
611 | PuTTY window's menu, like clicking on the top left corner. If it is |
612 | disabled, then pressing ALT-Space will just send \c{ESC SPACE} to |
613 | the server. |
614 | |
2470d64e |
615 | Some accessibility programs for Windows may need this option |
616 | enabling to be able to control PuTTY's window successfully. For |
617 | instance, Dragon NaturallySpeaking requires it both to open the |
618 | system menu via voice, and to close, minimise, maximise and restore |
619 | the window. |
620 | |
55ba634a |
621 | \S{config-altonly} \q{System menu appears on Alt alone} |
622 | |
1630bb61 |
623 | If this option is enabled, then pressing and releasing ALT will |
624 | bring up the PuTTY window's menu, like clicking on the top left |
625 | corner. If it is disabled, then pressing and releasing ALT will have |
626 | no effect. |
627 | |
55ba634a |
628 | \S{config-alwaysontop} \q{Ensure window is always on top} |
629 | |
1630bb61 |
630 | If this option is enabled, the PuTTY window will stay on top of all |
631 | other windows. |
632 | |
add788fc |
633 | \S{config-fullscreen} \q{Full screen on Alt-Enter} |
634 | |
635 | If this option is enabled, then pressing Alt-Enter will cause the |
636 | PuTTY window to become full-screen - that is, it will not only |
637 | maximise itself, it will expand so that the title bar goes off the |
638 | top of the screen, and place itself on top of the Windows taskbar, |
639 | so that \e{nothing} is visible on the screen except PuTTY. Pressing |
640 | Alt-Enter again will restore the previous window size. |
641 | |
55ba634a |
642 | \H{config-appearance} The Appearance panel |
643 | |
1630bb61 |
644 | The Appearance configuration panel allows you to control aspects of |
645 | PuTTY's appearance. |
646 | |
55ba634a |
647 | \S{config-cursor} Controlling the appearance of the cursor |
648 | |
26c8f51a |
649 | The \q{Cursor appearance} option lets you configure the cursor to be |
650 | a block, an underline, or a vertical line. A block cursor becomes an |
651 | empty box when the window loses focus; an underline or a vertical |
652 | line becomes dotted. |
653 | |
654 | The \q{Cursor blinks} option makes the cursor blink on and off. This |
655 | works in any of the cursor modes. |
55ba634a |
656 | |
657 | \S{config-font} Controlling the font used in the terminal window |
658 | |
add788fc |
659 | This option allows you to choose what font, in what size, the PuTTY |
660 | terminal window uses to display the text in the session. You will be |
661 | offered a choice from all the fixed-width fonts installed on the |
662 | system. (VT100-style terminal handling can only deal with fixed- |
663 | width fonts.) |
26c8f51a |
664 | |
55ba634a |
665 | \S{config-title} Controlling the window title |
666 | |
add788fc |
667 | The \q{Window title} edit box allows you to set the title of the |
668 | PuTTY window. By default the window title will contain the host name |
669 | followed by \q{PuTTY}, for example \c{server1.example.com - PuTTY}. |
670 | If you want a different window title, this is where to set it. |
671 | |
672 | PuTTY allows the server to send \c{xterm} control sequences which |
673 | modify the title of the window in mid-session. There is also an |
674 | \c{xterm} sequence to modify the title of the window's \e{icon}. |
675 | This makes sense in a windowing system where the window becomes an |
676 | icon when minimised, such as Windows 3.1 or most X Window System |
677 | setups; but in the Windows 95-like user interface it isn't as |
678 | applicable. By default PuTTY's window title and Taskbar caption will |
679 | change into the server-supplied icon title if you minimise the PuTTY |
680 | window, and change back to the server-supplied window title if you |
681 | restore it. (If the server has not bothered to supply a window or |
682 | icon title, none of this will happen.) By checking the box marked |
683 | \q{Avoid ever using icon title}, you can arrange that PuTTY will |
684 | always display the window title, and completely ignore any icon |
685 | titles the server sends it. |
686 | |
687 | \S{config-mouseptr} \q{Hide mouse pointer when typing in window} |
688 | |
689 | If you enable this option, the mouse pointer will disappear if the |
690 | PuTTY window is selected and you press a key. This way, it will not |
691 | obscure any of the text in the window while you work in your |
692 | session. As soon as you move the mouse, the pointer will reappear. |
693 | |
694 | This option is disabled by default, so the mouse pointer remains |
695 | visible at all times. |
696 | |
697 | \S{config-winborder} Controlling the window border |
698 | |
699 | PuTTY allows you to configure the appearance of the window border to |
700 | some extent. |
701 | |
702 | The checkbox marked \q{Sunken-edge border} changes the appearance of |
703 | the window border to something more like a DOS box: the inside edge |
704 | of the border is highlighted as if it sank down to meet the surface |
705 | inside the window. This makes the border a little bit thicker as |
706 | well. It's hard to describe well. Try it and see if you like it. |
707 | |
708 | You can also configure a completely blank gap between the text in |
709 | the window and the border, using the \q{Gap between text and window |
710 | edge} control. By default this is set at one pixel. You can reduce |
711 | it to zero, or increase it further. |
712 | |
55ba634a |
713 | \H{config-translation} The Translation panel |
714 | |
1630bb61 |
715 | The Translation configuration panel allows you to control the |
716 | translation between the character set understood by the server and |
717 | the character set understood by PuTTY. |
718 | |
add788fc |
719 | \S{config-charset} Controlling character set translation |
720 | |
721 | During an interactive session, PuTTY receives a stream of 8-bit |
722 | bytes from the server, and in order to display them on the screen it |
723 | needs to know what character set to interpret them in. |
724 | |
725 | There are a lot of character sets to choose from. The \q{Received |
726 | data assumed to be in which character set} option lets you select |
727 | one. By default PuTTY will attempt to choose a character set that is |
728 | right for your locale as reported by Windows; if it gets it wrong, |
729 | you can select a different one using this control. |
730 | |
731 | A few notable character sets are: |
732 | |
733 | \b The ISO-8859 series are all standard character sets that include |
734 | various accented characters appropriate for different sets of |
735 | languages. |
55ba634a |
736 | |
add788fc |
737 | \b The Win125x series are defined by Microsoft, for similar |
738 | purposes. In particular Win1252 is almost equivalent to ISO-8859-1, |
739 | but contains a few extra characters such as matched quotes and the |
740 | Euro symbol. |
55ba634a |
741 | |
add788fc |
742 | \b If you want the old IBM PC character set with block graphics and |
743 | line-drawing characters, you can select \q{CP437}. |
744 | |
745 | \b PuTTY also supports Unicode mode, in which the data coming from |
746 | the server is interpreted as being in the UTF-8 encoding of Unicode. |
747 | If you select \q{UTF-8} as a character set you can use this mode. |
748 | Not all server-side applications will support it. |
749 | |
750 | \S{config-cyr} \q{Caps Lock acts as Cyrillic switch} |
751 | |
752 | This feature allows you to switch between a US/UK keyboard layout |
753 | and a Cyrillic keyboard layout by using the Caps Lock key, if you |
754 | need to type (for example) Russian and English side by side in the |
755 | same document. |
756 | |
757 | Currently this feature is not expected to work properly if your |
758 | native keyboard layout is not US or UK. |
759 | |
760 | \S{config-linedraw} Controlling display of line drawing characters |
761 | |
762 | VT100-series terminals allow the server to send control sequences |
763 | that shift temporarily into a separate character set for drawing |
764 | lines and boxes. PuTTY has a variety of ways to support this |
765 | capability. In general you should probably try lots of options until |
766 | you find one that your particular font supports. |
767 | |
768 | \b \q{Font has XWindows encoding} is for use with fonts that have a |
769 | special encoding, where the lowest 32 character positions (below the |
770 | ASCII printable range) contain the line-drawing characters. This is |
771 | unlikely to be the case with any standard Windows font; it will |
772 | probably only apply to custom-built fonts or fonts that have been |
773 | automatically converted from the X Window System. |
774 | |
775 | \b \q{Use font in both ANSI and OEM modes} tries to use the same |
776 | font in two different character sets, to obtain a wider range of |
777 | characters. This doesn't always work; some fonts claim to be a |
778 | different size depending on which character set you try to use. |
779 | |
780 | \b \q{Use font in OEM mode only} is more reliable than that, but can |
781 | miss out other characters from the main character set. |
782 | |
783 | \b \q{Poor man's line drawing} assumes that the font \e{cannot} |
784 | generate the line and box characters at all, so it will use the |
785 | \c{+}, \c{-} and \c{|} characters to draw approximations to boxes. |
786 | You should use this option if none of the other options works. |
787 | |
788 | \b \q{Unicode mode} tries to use the box characters that are present |
789 | in Unicode. For good Unicode-supporting fonts this is probably the |
790 | most reliable and functional option. |
55ba634a |
791 | |
792 | \H{config-selection} The Selection panel |
793 | |
1630bb61 |
794 | The Selection panel allows you to control the way copy and paste |
795 | work in the PuTTY window. |
796 | |
add788fc |
797 | \S{config-linedrawpaste} Controlling the pasting of line drawing |
798 | characters |
799 | |
800 | By default, when you copy and paste a piece of the PuTTY screen that |
801 | contains VT100 line and box drawing characters, PuTTY will translate |
802 | them into the \q{poor man's} line-drawing characters \c{+}, \c{-} |
803 | and \c{|}. The checkbox \q{Don't translate line drawing chars} |
804 | disables this feature, so line-drawing characters will be pasted as |
805 | if they were in the normal character set. This will typically mean |
806 | they come out mostly as \c{q} and \c{x}, with a scattering of |
807 | \c{jklmntuvw} at the corners. This might be useful if you were |
808 | trying to recreate the same box layout in another program, for |
809 | example. |
810 | |
55ba634a |
811 | \S{config-mouse} Changing the actions of the mouse buttons |
812 | |
add788fc |
813 | PuTTY's copy and paste mechanism is modelled on the Unix \c{xterm} |
814 | application. The X Window System uses a three-button mouse, and the |
815 | convention is that the left button selects, the right button extends |
816 | an existing selection, and the middle button pastes. |
817 | |
818 | Windows typically only has two mouse buttons, so in PuTTY's default |
819 | configuration, the \e{right} button pastes, and the \e{middle} |
820 | button (if you have one) extends a selection. |
821 | |
822 | If you have a three-button mouse and you are already used to the |
823 | \c{xterm} arrangement, you can select it using the \q{Action of |
824 | mouse buttons} control. |
825 | |
826 | \S{config-mouseshift} \q{Shift overrides application's use of mouse} |
827 | |
828 | PuTTY allows the server to send control codes that let it take over |
829 | the mouse and use it for purposes other than copy and paste. |
830 | Applications which use this feature include the text-mode web |
831 | browser \c{links}, the Usenet newsreader \c{trn} version 4, and the |
832 | file manager \c{mc} (Midnight Commander). |
833 | |
834 | When running one of these applications, pressing the mouse buttons |
835 | no longer performs copy and paste. If you do need to copy and paste, |
836 | you can still do so if you hold down Shift while you do your mouse |
837 | clicks. |
838 | |
839 | However, it is possible in theory for applications to even detect |
840 | and make use of Shift + mouse clicks. We don't know of any |
841 | applications that do this, but in case someone ever writes one, |
842 | unchecking the \q{Shift overrides application's use of mouse} |
843 | checkbox will cause Shift + mouse clicks to go to the server as well |
844 | (so that mouse-driven copy and paste will be completely disabled). |
845 | |
55ba634a |
846 | \S{config-charclasses} Configuring word-by-word selection |
847 | |
add788fc |
848 | PuTTY will select a word at a time in the terminal window if you |
849 | double-click to begin the drag. This panel allows you to control |
850 | precisely what is considered to be a word. |
851 | |
852 | Each character is given a \e{class}, which is a small number |
853 | (typically 0, 1 or 2). PuTTY considers a single word to be any |
854 | number of adjacent characters in the same class. So by modifying the |
855 | assignment of characters to classes, you can modify the word-by-word |
856 | selection behaviour. |
857 | |
858 | In the default configuration, the character classes are: |
859 | |
860 | \b Class 0 contains white space and control characters. |
861 | |
862 | \b Class 1 contains most punctuation. |
863 | |
864 | \b Class 2 contains letters, numbers and a few pieces of punctuation |
865 | (the double quote, minus sign, period, forward slash and |
866 | underscore). |
867 | |
868 | So, for example, if you assign the \c{@} symbol into character class |
869 | 2, you will be able to select an e-mail address with just a double |
870 | click. |
871 | |
872 | In order to adjust these assignments, you start by selecting a group |
873 | of characters in the list box. Then enter a class number in the edit |
874 | box below, and press the \q{Set} button. |
875 | |
876 | This mechanism currently only covers ASCII characters, because it |
877 | isn't feasible to expand the list to cover the whole of Unicode. |
878 | |
55ba634a |
879 | \H{config-colours} The Colours panel |
880 | |
1630bb61 |
881 | The Colours panel allows you to control PuTTY's use of colour. |
882 | |
55ba634a |
883 | \S{config-boldcolour} \q{Bolded text is a different colour} |
884 | |
add788fc |
885 | When the server sends a control sequence indicating that some text |
886 | should be displayed in bold, PuTTY can handle this two ways. It can |
887 | either change the font for a bold version, or use the same font in a |
888 | brighter colour. This control lets you choose which. |
889 | |
890 | By default the box is checked, so non-bold text is displayed in |
891 | light grey and bold text is displayed in bright white (and similarly |
892 | in other colours). If you uncheck the box, bold and non-bold text |
893 | will be displayed in the same colour, and instead the font will |
894 | change to indicate the difference. |
895 | |
55ba634a |
896 | \S{config-logpalette} \q{Attempt to use logical palettes} |
897 | |
add788fc |
898 | Logical palettes are a mechanism by which a Windows application |
899 | running on an 8-bit colour display can select precisely the colours |
900 | it wants instead of going with the Windows standard defaults. |
901 | |
902 | If you are not getting the colours you ask for on an 8-bit display, |
903 | you can try enabling this option. However, be warned that it's never |
904 | worked very well. |
905 | |
55ba634a |
906 | \S{config-colourcfg} Adjusting the colours in the terminal window |
907 | |
add788fc |
908 | The main colour control allows you to specify exactly what colours |
909 | things should be displayed in. To modify one of the PuTTY colours, |
910 | use the list box to select which colour you want to modify. The RGB |
911 | values for that colour will appear on the right-hand side of the |
912 | list box. Now, if you press the \q{Modify} button, you will be |
913 | presented with a colour selector, in which you can choose a new |
914 | colour to go in place of the old one. |
915 | |
916 | PuTTY allows you to set the cursor colour, the default foreground |
917 | and background, and the precise shades of all the ANSI configurable |
918 | colours (black, red, green, yellow, blue, magenta, cyan, and white). |
919 | In addition, if you have selected \q{Bolded text is a different |
920 | colour}, you can also modify the precise shades used for the bold |
921 | versions of these colours. |
922 | |
55ba634a |
923 | \H{config-connection} The Connection panel |
924 | |
1630bb61 |
925 | The Connection panel allows you to configure options that apply to |
926 | more than one type of connection. |
927 | |
55ba634a |
928 | \S{config-termtype} \q{Terminal-type string} |
929 | |
add788fc |
930 | Most servers you might connect to with PuTTY are designed to be |
931 | connected to from lots of different types of terminal. In order to |
932 | send the right control sequences to each one, the server will need |
933 | to know what type of terminal it is dealing with. Therefore, each of |
934 | the SSH, Telnet and Rlogin protocols allow a text string to be sent |
935 | down the connection describing the terminal. |
936 | |
937 | PuTTY attempts to emulate the Unix \c{xterm} program, and by default |
938 | it reflects this by sending \c{xterm} as a terminal-type string. If |
939 | you find this is not doing what you want - perhaps the remote |
940 | terminal reports \q{Unknown terminal type} - you could try setting |
941 | this to something different, such as \c{vt220}. |
942 | |
943 | If you're not sure whether a problem is due to the terminal type |
944 | setting or not, you probably need to consult the manual for your |
945 | application or your server. |
946 | |
55ba634a |
947 | \S{config-username} \q{Auto-login username} |
948 | |
add788fc |
949 | All three of the SSH, Telnet and Rlogin protocols allow you to |
950 | specify what user name you want to log in as, without having to type |
951 | it explicitly every time. (Some Telnet servers don't support this.) |
952 | |
953 | In this box you can type that user name. |
954 | |
55ba634a |
955 | \S{config-keepalive} Using keepalives to prevent disconnection |
956 | |
c33f3243 |
957 | If you find your sessions are closing unexpectedly (\q{Connection |
958 | reset by peer}) after they have been idle for a while, you might |
959 | want to try using this option. |
960 | |
add788fc |
961 | Some network routers and firewalls need to keep track of all |
c33f3243 |
962 | connections through them. Usually, these firewalls will assume a |
963 | connection is dead if no data is transferred in either direction |
964 | after a certain time interval. This can cause PuTTY sessions to be |
965 | unexpectedly closed by the firewall if no traffic is seen in the |
966 | session for some time. |
967 | |
968 | The keepalive option (\q{Seconds between keepalives}) allows you to |
969 | configure PuTTY to send data through the session at regular |
970 | intervals, in a way that does not disrupt the actual terminal |
971 | session. If you find your firewall is cutting idle connections off, |
972 | you can try entering a non-zero value in this field. The value is |
973 | measured in seconds; so, for example, if your firewall cuts |
974 | connections off after ten minutes then you might want to enter 300 |
975 | seconds (5 minutes) in the box. |
976 | |
977 | Note that keepalives are not always helpful. They help if you have a |
978 | firewall which drops your connection after an idle period; but if |
979 | the network between you and the server suffers from breaks in |
980 | connectivity then keepalives can actually make things worse. If a |
981 | session is idle, and connectivity is temporarily lost between the |
982 | endpoints, but the connectivity is restored before either side tries |
983 | to send anything, then there will be no problem - neither endpoint |
984 | will notice that anything was wrong. However, if one side does send |
985 | something during the break, it will repeatedly try to re-send, and |
986 | eventually give up and abandon the connection. Then when |
987 | connectivity is restored, the other side will find that the first |
988 | side doesn't believe there is an open connection any more. |
989 | Keepalives can make this sort of problem worse, because they |
990 | increase the probability that PuTTY will attempt to send data during |
991 | a break in connectivity. Therefore, you might find they help |
992 | connection loss, or you might find they make it worse, depending on |
993 | what \e{kind} of network problems you have between you and the |
994 | server. |
995 | |
996 | Keepalives are only supported in Telnet and SSH; the Rlogin and Raw |
997 | protocols offer no way of implementing them. |
998 | |
55ba634a |
999 | \H{config-telnet} The Telnet panel |
1000 | |
1630bb61 |
1001 | The Telnet panel allows you to configure options that only apply to |
1002 | Telnet sessions. |
1003 | |
55ba634a |
1004 | \S{config-termspeed} \q{Terminal-speed string} |
1005 | |
add788fc |
1006 | Telnet allows the client to send a text string that describes the |
1007 | terminal speed. PuTTY lets you configure this, in case you find the |
1008 | server is reacting badly to the default value. (I'm not aware of any |
1009 | servers that do have a problem with it.) |
1010 | |
55ba634a |
1011 | \S{config-environ} Setting environment variables on the server |
1012 | |
add788fc |
1013 | The Telnet protocol also provides a means for the client to pass |
1014 | environment variables to the server. Many Telnet servers have |
1015 | stopped supporting this feature due to security flaws, but PuTTY |
1016 | still supports it for the benefit of any servers which have found |
1017 | other ways around the security problems than just disabling the |
1018 | whole mechanism. |
1019 | |
1020 | To add an environment variable to the list transmitted down the |
1021 | connection, you enter the variable name in the \q{Variable} box, |
1022 | enter its value in the \q{Value} box, and press the \q{Add} button. |
1023 | To remove one from the list, select it in the list box and press |
1024 | \q{Remove}. |
1025 | |
55ba634a |
1026 | \S{config-oldenviron} \q{Handling of OLD_ENVIRON ambiguity} |
1027 | |
add788fc |
1028 | The original Telnet mechanism for passing environment variables was |
1029 | badly specified. At the time the standard (RFC 1408) was written, |
1030 | BSD telnet implementations were already supporting the feature, and |
1031 | the intention of the standard was to describe the behaviour the BSD |
1032 | implementations were already using. |
1033 | |
1034 | Sadly there was a typing error in the standard when it was issued, |
1035 | and two vital function codes were specified the wrong way round. BSD |
1036 | implementations did not change, and the standard was not corrected. |
1037 | Therefore, it's possible you might find either BSD or RFC-compliant |
1038 | implementations out there. This switch allows you to choose which |
1039 | one PuTTY claims to be. |
1040 | |
1041 | The problem was solved by issuing a second standard, defining a new |
1042 | Telnet mechanism called \cw{NEW_ENVIRON}, which behaved exactly like |
1043 | the original \cw{OLD_ENVIRON} but was not encumbered by existing |
1044 | implementations. Most Telnet servers now support this, and it's |
1045 | unambiguous. This feature should only be needed if you have trouble |
1046 | passing environment variables to quite an old server. |
1047 | |
1048 | \S{config-ptelnet} Passive and active Telnet negotiation modes |
1049 | |
1050 | In a Telnet connection, there are two types of data passed between |
1051 | the client and the server: actual text, and \e{negotiations} about |
1052 | which Telnet extra features to use. |
1053 | |
1054 | PuTTY can use two different strategies for negotiation: |
1055 | |
1056 | \b In \e{active} mode, PuTTY starts to send negotiations as soon as |
1057 | the connection is opened. |
1058 | |
1059 | \b In \e{passive} mode, PuTTY will wait to negotiate until it sees a |
1060 | negotiation from the server. |
1061 | |
1062 | The obvious disadvantage of passive mode is that if the server is |
1063 | also operating in a passive mode, then negotiation will never begin |
1064 | at all. For this reason PuTTY defaults to active mode. |
1065 | |
1066 | However, sometimes passive mode is required in order to successfully |
1067 | get through certain types of firewall and Telnet proxy server. If |
1068 | you have confusing trouble with a firewall, you could try enabling |
1069 | passive mode to see if it helps. |
1070 | |
1071 | \S{config-telnetkey} \q{Keyboard sends telnet Backspace and Interrupt} |
1072 | |
1073 | If this box is checked, the Backspace key on the keyboard will send |
1074 | the Telnet special backspace code, and Control-C will send the |
1075 | Telnet special interrupt code. You probably shouldn't enable this |
1076 | unless you know what you're doing. |
1077 | |
1078 | \H{config-rlogin} The Rlogin panel |
1079 | |
1080 | The Rlogin panel allows you to configure options that only apply to |
1081 | Rlogin sessions. |
1082 | |
1083 | \S{config-rlogin-termspeed} \q{Terminal-speed string} |
1084 | |
1085 | Like Telnet, Rlogin allows the client to send a text string that |
1086 | describes the terminal speed. PuTTY lets you configure this, in case |
1087 | you find the server is reacting badly to the default value. (I'm not |
1088 | aware of any servers that do have a problem with it.) |
1089 | |
1090 | \S{config-rlogin-localuser} \q{Local username} |
1091 | |
1092 | Rlogin allows an automated (password-free) form of login by means of |
1093 | a file called \c{.rhosts} on the server. You put a line in your |
1094 | \c{.rhosts} file saying something like \c{jbloggs@pc1.example.com}, |
1095 | and then when you make an Rlogin connection the client transmits the |
1096 | username of the user running the Rlogin client. The server checks |
1097 | the username and hostname against \c{.rhosts}, and if they match it |
1098 | does not ask for a password. |
1099 | |
1100 | This only works because Unix systems contain a safeguard to stop a |
1101 | user from pretending to be another user in an Rlogin connection. |
1102 | Rlogin connections have to come from port numbers below 1024, and |
1103 | Unix systems prohibit this to unprivileged processes; so when the |
1104 | server sees a connection from a low-numbered port, it assumes the |
1105 | client end of the connection is held by a privileged (and therefore |
1106 | trusted) process, so it believes the claim of who the user is. |
1107 | |
1108 | Windows does not have this restriction: \e{any} user can initiate an |
1109 | outgoing connection from a low-numbered port. Hence, the Rlogin |
1110 | \c{.rhosts} mechanism is completely useless for securely |
1111 | distinguishing several different users on a Windows machine. If you |
1112 | have a \c{.rhosts} entry pointing at a Windows PC, you should assume |
1113 | that \e{anyone} using that PC can spoof your username in an Rlogin |
1114 | connection and access your account on the server. |
1115 | |
1116 | The \q{Local username} control allows you to specify what user name |
1117 | PuTTY should claim you have, in case it doesn't match your Windows |
1118 | user name (or in case you didn't bother to set up a Windows user |
1119 | name). |
1120 | |
55ba634a |
1121 | \H{config-ssh} The SSH panel |
1122 | |
1630bb61 |
1123 | The SSH panel allows you to configure options that only apply to |
1124 | SSH sessions. |
1125 | |
55ba634a |
1126 | \S{config-command} Executing a specific command on the server |
1127 | |
add788fc |
1128 | In SSH, you don't have to run a general shell session on the server. |
1129 | Instead, you can choose to run a single specific command (such as a |
1130 | mail user agent, for example). If you want to do this, enter the |
1131 | command in the \q{Remote command} box. |
1132 | |
1133 | \S{config-ssh-pty} \q{Don't allocate a pseudo-terminal} |
1134 | |
1135 | When connecting to a Unix system, most interactive shell sessions |
1136 | are run in a \e{pseudo-terminal}, which allows the Unix system to |
1137 | pretend it's talking to a real physical terminal device but allows |
1138 | the SSH server to catch all the data coming from that fake device |
1139 | and send it back to the client. |
1140 | |
1141 | Occasionally you might find you have a need to run a session \e{not} |
1142 | in a pseudo-terminal. In PuTTY, this is generally only useful for |
1143 | very specialist purposes; although in Plink (see \k{plink}) it is |
1144 | the usual way of working. |
1145 | |
1146 | \S{config-ssh-comp} \q{Enable compression} |
1147 | |
1148 | This enables data compression in the SSH connection: data sent by |
1149 | the server is compressed before sending, and decompressed at the |
1150 | client end. Likewise, data sent by PuTTY to the server is compressed |
1151 | first and the server decompresses it at the other end. This can help |
1152 | make the most of a low-bandwidth connection. |
1153 | |
1154 | \S{config-ssh-prot} \q{Preferred SSH protocol version} |
1155 | |
1156 | This allows you to select whether you would like to use SSH protocol |
1157 | version 1 or version 2. \#{FIXME: say something about this elsewhere?} |
1158 | |
1159 | PuTTY will attempt to use protocol 1 if the server you connect to |
1160 | does not offer protocol 2, and vice versa. |
1161 | |
1162 | \S{config-ssh-macbug} \q{Imitate SSH 2 MAC bug} |
1163 | |
1164 | This option \e{should} now be unnecessary. It existed in order to |
1165 | work around a bug in early versions (2.3.0 and below) of the SSH |
1166 | server software from \cw{ssh.com}. The symptom of this problem would |
1167 | be that PuTTY would die unexpectedly at the beginning of the |
1168 | session, saying \q{Incorrect MAC received on packet}. |
1169 | |
1170 | Current versions of PuTTY attempt to detect these faulty servers and |
1171 | enable the bug compatibility automatically, so you should never need |
1172 | to use this option any more. |
1173 | |
1174 | \S{config-ssh-encryption} Encryption algorithm selection |
1175 | |
1176 | PuTTY supports a variety of different encryption algorithms, and |
1177 | allows you to choose which one you prefer to use. You can do this by |
1178 | dragging the algorithms up and down in the list box to specify a |
1179 | preference order. When you make an SSH connection, PuTTY will search |
1180 | down the list from the top until it finds an algorithm supported by |
1181 | the server, and then use that. |
1182 | |
1183 | If the algorithm PuTTY finds is below the \q{warn below here} line, |
1184 | you will see a warning box when you make the connection: |
1185 | |
1186 | \c The first cipher supported by the server |
1187 | \c is single-DES, which is below the configured |
1188 | \c warning threshold. |
1189 | \c Do you want to continue with this connection? |
1190 | |
1191 | This warns you that the first available encryption is not a very |
1192 | secure one. Typically you would put the \q{warn below here} line |
1193 | between the encryptions you consider secure and the ones you |
1194 | consider substandard. |
1195 | |
1196 | By default, PuTTY supplies a preference order intended to reflect a |
1197 | reasonable preference in terms of security and speed. |
1198 | |
1199 | \H{config-ssh-auth} The Auth panel |
1200 | |
1201 | The Auth panel allows you to configure authentication options for |
1202 | SSH sessions. |
1203 | |
1204 | \S{config-ssh-tis} \q{Attempt TIS or CryptoCard authentication} |
1205 | |
1206 | TIS and CryptoCard authentication are simple challenge/response |
1207 | forms of authentication available in SSH protocol version 1 only. |
1208 | You might use them if you were using S/Key one-time passwords, for |
1209 | example, or if you had a physical security token that generated |
1210 | responses to authentication challenges. |
1211 | |
1212 | With this switch enabled, PuTTY will attempt these forms of |
1213 | authentication if the server is willing to try them. You will be |
1214 | presented with a challenge string (which will be different every |
1215 | time) and must supply the correct response in order to log in. If |
1216 | your server supports this, you should talk to your system |
1217 | administrator about precisely what form these challenges and |
1218 | responses take. |
1219 | |
1220 | \S{config-ssh-agentfwd} \q{Allow agent forwarding} |
1221 | |
1222 | This option allows the SSH server to open forwarded connections back |
1223 | to your local copy of Pageant. If you are not running Pageant, this |
1224 | option will do nothing. |
1225 | |
1226 | See \k{pageant} for general information on Pageant, and |
1227 | \k{pageant-forward} for information on agent forwarding. Note that |
1228 | there is a security risk involved with enabling this option; see |
1229 | \k{pageant-security} for details. |
1230 | |
1231 | \S{config-ssh-privkey} \q{Private key file for authentication} |
1232 | |
1233 | This box is where you enter the name of your private key file if you |
1234 | are using public key authentication. See \k{pubkey} for information |
1235 | about public key authentication in SSH. |
1236 | |
1237 | \H{config-ssh-tunnels} The Tunnels panel |
1238 | |
1239 | The Tunnels panel allows you to configure tunnelling of other |
1240 | connection types through an SSH connection. |
1241 | |
1242 | \S{config-ssh-x11} X11 forwarding |
1243 | |
1244 | If your server lets you run X Window System applications, X11 |
1245 | forwarding allows you to securely give those applications access to |
1246 | a local X display on your PC. |
1247 | |
1248 | This feature will only be useful if you have an X server on your PC, |
1249 | such as Exceed or XWin32. |
1250 | |
1251 | To enable X11 forwarding, check the \q{Enable X11 forwarding} box. |
1252 | If your X display is not the primary display on your local machine |
1253 | (which it almost certainly will be unless you have deliberately |
1254 | arranged otherwise), you need to enter its location in the \q{X |
1255 | display location} box. |
1256 | |
1257 | \# FIXME: perhaps link to some more general X forwarding info? |
1258 | |
1259 | \S{config-ssh-portfwd} Port forwarding |
1260 | |
1261 | Port forwarding allows you to tunnel other types of network |
1262 | connection down an SSH connection. |
1263 | |
1264 | To set up a local port forwarding, make sure the \q{Local} radio |
1265 | button is set. Then enter a local port number (on your PC) in the |
1266 | \q{Source port} box, and a hostname and port number (separated by a |
1267 | colon) in the \q{Destination} box, and finally press the \q{Add} |
1268 | button. For example, you might select a source port of 10079, and a |
1269 | destination of \c{server2.example.com:79}. |
1270 | |
1271 | If you do this, and then start the session, you should find that |
1272 | connecting to your local PC on port 10079 gives you a connection to |
1273 | port 79 (the finger server) on \c{server2.example.com}. The |
1274 | connection is actually going to PuTTY itself, which encrypts the |
1275 | connection data and sends it down the secure channel to the SSH |
1276 | server. The connection then proceeds in clear from there to the |
1277 | eventual destination. So you might use this (for example) to forward |
1278 | a connection between two non-hostile network zones that are only |
1279 | connected by a hostile zone such as the open Internet. |
1280 | |
1281 | You can forward ports on the SSH server machine in the other |
1282 | direction, too (so the connection will start at the server end and |
1283 | be sent down the secure connection to PuTTY, which will make the |
1284 | real connection to the destination). To work this way round, just |
1285 | click the \q{Remote} radio button instead of \q{Local}. |
55ba634a |
1286 | |
add788fc |
1287 | \# FIXME: perhaps move this to a general port-forwarding section and |
1288 | \# just link to it here? |
37c6fce1 |
1289 | |
1290 | \H{config-file} Storing configuration in a file |
1291 | |
1292 | PuTTY does not currently support storing its configuration in a file |
1293 | instead of the Registry. However, you can work around this with a |
1294 | couple of batch files. |
1295 | |
1296 | You will need a file called (say) \c{PUTTY.BAT} which imports the |
1297 | contents of a file into the Registry, then runs PuTTY, exports the |
1298 | contents of the Registry back into the file, and deletes the |
1299 | Registry entries. This can all be done using the Regedit command |
1300 | line options, so it's all automatic. Here is what you need in |
1301 | \c{PUTTY.BAT}: |
1302 | |
1303 | \c @ECHO OFF |
1304 | \c regedit /s putty.reg |
1305 | \c regedit /s puttyrnd.reg |
1306 | \c start /w putty.exe |
1307 | \c regedit /e puttynew.reg HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY |
1308 | \c copy puttynew.reg putty.reg |
1309 | \c del puttynew.reg |
1310 | \c regedit /s puttydel.reg |
1311 | |
1312 | This batch file needs two auxiliary files: \c{PUTTYRND.REG} which |
1313 | sets up an initial safe location for the \c{PUTTY.RND} random seed |
1314 | file, and \c{PUTTYDEL.REG} which destroys everything in the Registry |
1315 | once it's been successfully saved back to the file. |
1316 | |
1317 | Here is \c{PUTTYDEL.REG}: |
1318 | |
1319 | \c REGEDIT4 |
1320 | \c |
1321 | \c [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY] |
1322 | |
1323 | Here is an example \c{PUTTYRND.REG} file: |
1324 | |
1325 | \c REGEDIT4 |
1326 | \c |
1327 | \c [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY] |
1328 | \c "RandSeedFile"="a:\putty.rnd" |
1329 | |
1330 | You should replace \c{a:\\putty.rnd} with the location where you |
1331 | want to store your random number data. If the aim is to carry around |
1332 | PuTTY and its settings on one floppy, you probably want to store it |
1333 | on the floppy. |