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1 | \define{versionidconfig} \versionid $Id$ |
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2 | |
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3 | \C{config} Configuring PuTTY |
4 | |
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5 | This chapter describes all the configuration options in PuTTY. |
6 | |
7 | PuTTY is configured using the control panel that comes up before you |
8 | start a session. Some options can also be changed in the middle of a |
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9 | session, by selecting \q{Change Settings} from the window menu. |
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10 | |
11 | \H{config-session} The Session panel |
12 | |
13 | The Session configuration panel contains the basic options you need |
14 | to specify in order to open a session at all, and also allows you to |
15 | save your settings to be reloaded later. |
16 | |
17 | \S{config-hostname} The host name section |
18 | |
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19 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{session.hostname} |
20 | |
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21 | The top box on the Session panel, labelled \q{Specify your |
22 | connection by host name}, contains the details that need to be |
23 | filled in before PuTTY can open a session at all. |
24 | |
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25 | \b The \q{Host Name} box is where you type the name, or the IP |
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26 | address, of the server you want to connect to. |
27 | |
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28 | \b The \q{Protocol} radio buttons let you choose what type of |
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29 | connection you want to make: a raw connection, a Telnet connection, an |
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30 | rlogin connection or an SSH connection. (See \k{which-one} for a |
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31 | summary of the differences between SSH, Telnet and rlogin, and |
32 | \k{using-rawprot} for an explanation of \q{raw} connections.) |
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33 | |
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34 | \b The \q{Port} box lets you specify which port number on the server |
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35 | to connect to. If you select Telnet, Rlogin, or SSH, this box will |
36 | be filled in automatically to the usual value, and you will only |
37 | need to change it if you have an unusual server. If you select Raw |
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38 | mode, you will almost certainly need to fill in the \q{Port} box. |
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39 | |
40 | \S{config-saving} Loading and storing saved sessions |
41 | |
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42 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{session.saved} |
43 | |
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44 | The next part of the Session configuration panel allows you to save |
45 | your preferred PuTTY options so they will appear automatically the |
46 | next time you start PuTTY. It also allows you to create \e{saved |
47 | sessions}, which contain a full set of configuration options plus a |
48 | host name and protocol. A saved session contains all the information |
49 | PuTTY needs to start exactly the session you want. |
50 | |
51 | \b To save your default settings: first set up the settings the way |
52 | you want them saved. Then come back to the Session panel. Select the |
53 | \q{Default Settings} entry in the saved sessions list, with a single |
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54 | click. Then press the \q{Save} button. |
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55 | |
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56 | \lcont{ |
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57 | Note that PuTTY does not allow you to save a host name into the |
58 | Default Settings entry. This ensures that when PuTTY is started up, |
59 | the host name box is always empty, so a user can always just type in |
60 | a host name and connect. |
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61 | } |
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62 | |
63 | If there is a specific host you want to store the details of how to |
64 | connect to, you should create a saved session, which will be |
65 | separate from the Default Settings. |
66 | |
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67 | \b To save a session: first go through the rest of the configuration |
68 | box setting up all the options you want. Then come back to the |
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69 | Session panel. Enter a name for the saved session in the \q{Saved |
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70 | Sessions} input box. (The server name is often a good choice for a |
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71 | saved session name.) Then press the \q{Save} button. Your saved |
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72 | session name should now appear in the list box. |
73 | |
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74 | \lcont{ |
75 | You can also save settings in mid-session, from the \q{Change Settings} |
76 | dialog. Settings changed since the start of the session will be saved |
77 | with their current values; as well as settings changed through the |
78 | dialog, this includes changes in window size, window title changes |
79 | sent by the server, and so on. |
80 | } |
81 | |
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82 | \b To reload a saved session: single-click to select the session |
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83 | name in the list box, and then press the \q{Load} button. Your saved |
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84 | settings should all appear in the configuration panel. |
85 | |
86 | \b To modify a saved session: first load it as described above. Then |
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87 | make the changes you want. Come back to the Session panel, and press |
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88 | the \q{Save} button. The new settings will be saved over the top of |
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89 | the old ones. |
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90 | |
91 | \lcont{ |
92 | To save the new settings under a different name, you can enter the new |
93 | name in the \q{Saved Sessions} box, or single-click to select a |
94 | session name in the list box to overwrite that session. To save |
95 | \q{Default Settings}, you must single-click the name before saving. |
96 | } |
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97 | |
98 | \b To start a saved session immediately: double-click on the session |
99 | name in the list box. |
100 | |
101 | \b To delete a saved session: single-click to select the session |
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102 | name in the list box, and then press the \q{Delete} button. |
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103 | |
104 | Each saved session is independent of the Default Settings |
105 | configuration. If you change your preferences and update Default |
106 | Settings, you must also update every saved session separately. |
107 | |
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108 | Saved sessions are stored in the Registry, at the location |
109 | |
110 | \c HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions |
111 | |
112 | If you need to store them in a file, you could try the method |
113 | described in \k{config-file}. |
114 | |
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115 | \S{config-closeonexit} \q{Close Window on Exit} |
116 | |
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117 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{session.coe} |
118 | |
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119 | Finally in the Session panel, there is an option labelled \q{Close |
120 | Window on Exit}. This controls whether the PuTTY session window |
121 | disappears as soon as the session inside it terminates. If you are |
122 | likely to want to copy and paste text out of the session after it |
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123 | has terminated, or restart the session, you should arrange for this |
124 | option to be off. |
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125 | |
126 | \q{Close Window On Exit} has three settings. \q{Always} means always |
127 | close the window on exit; \q{Never} means never close on exit |
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128 | (always leave the window open, but \I{inactive window}inactive). The |
129 | third setting, and the default one, is \q{Only on clean exit}. In this |
130 | mode, a session which terminates normally will cause its window to |
131 | close, but one which is aborted unexpectedly by network trouble or a |
132 | confusing message from the server will leave the window up. |
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133 | |
134 | \H{config-logging} The Logging panel |
135 | |
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136 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{logging.main} |
137 | |
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138 | The Logging configuration panel allows you to save log files of your |
139 | PuTTY sessions, for debugging, analysis or future reference. |
140 | |
141 | The main option is a radio-button set that specifies whether PuTTY |
142 | will log anything at all. The options are |
143 | |
144 | \b \q{Logging turned off completely}. This is the default option; in |
145 | this mode PuTTY will not create a log file at all. |
146 | |
147 | \b \q{Log printable output only}. In this mode, a log file will be |
148 | created and written to, but only printable text will be saved into |
149 | it. The various terminal control codes that are typically sent down |
150 | an interactive session alongside the printable text will be omitted. |
151 | This might be a useful mode if you want to read a log file in a text |
152 | editor and hope to be able to make sense of it. |
153 | |
154 | \b \q{Log all session output}. In this mode, \e{everything} sent by |
155 | the server into your terminal session is logged. If you view the log |
156 | file in a text editor, therefore, you may well find it full of |
157 | strange control characters. This is a particularly useful mode if |
158 | you are experiencing problems with PuTTY's terminal handling: you |
159 | can record everything that went to the terminal, so that someone |
160 | else can replay the session later in slow motion and watch to see |
161 | what went wrong. |
162 | |
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163 | \b \q{Log SSH packet data}. In this mode (which is only used by SSH |
164 | connections), the SSH message packets sent over the encrypted |
165 | connection are written to the log file. You might need this to debug |
166 | a network-level problem, or more likely to send to the PuTTY authors |
167 | as part of a bug report. \e{BE WARNED} that if you log in using a |
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168 | password, the password can appear in the log file; see |
169 | \k{config-logssh} for options that may help to remove sensitive |
170 | material from the log file before you send it to anyone else. |
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171 | |
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172 | \S{config-logfilename} \q{Log file name} |
173 | |
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174 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{logging.filename} |
175 | |
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176 | In this edit box you enter the name of the file you want to log the |
177 | session to. The \q{Browse} button will let you look around your file |
178 | system to find the right place to put the file; or if you already |
179 | know exactly where you want it to go, you can just type a pathname |
180 | into the edit box. |
181 | |
182 | There are a few special features in this box. If you use the \c{&} |
183 | character in the file name box, PuTTY will insert details of the |
184 | current session in the name of the file it actually opens. The |
185 | precise replacements it will do are: |
186 | |
187 | \b \c{&Y} will be replaced by the current year, as four digits. |
188 | |
189 | \b \c{&M} will be replaced by the current month, as two digits. |
190 | |
191 | \b \c{&D} will be replaced by the current day of the month, as two |
192 | digits. |
193 | |
194 | \b \c{&T} will be replaced by the current time, as six digits |
195 | (HHMMSS) with no punctuation. |
196 | |
197 | \b \c{&H} will be replaced by the host name you are connecting to. |
198 | |
199 | For example, if you enter the host name |
200 | \c{c:\\puttylogs\\log-&h-&y&m&d-&t.dat}, you will end up with files looking |
201 | like |
202 | |
203 | \c log-server1.example.com-20010528-110859.dat |
204 | \c log-unixbox.somewhere.org-20010611-221001.dat |
205 | |
206 | \S{config-logfileexists} \q{What to do if the log file already exists} |
207 | |
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208 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{logging.exists} |
209 | |
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210 | This control allows you to specify what PuTTY should do if it tries |
211 | to start writing to a log file and it finds the file already exists. |
212 | You might want to automatically destroy the existing log file and |
213 | start a new one with the same name. Alternatively, you might want to |
214 | open the existing log file and add data to the \e{end} of it. |
215 | Finally (the default option), you might not want to have any |
216 | automatic behaviour, but to ask the user every time the problem |
217 | comes up. |
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218 | |
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219 | \S{config-logflush} \q{Flush log file frequently} |
220 | |
221 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{logging.flush} |
222 | |
223 | This option allows you to control how frequently logged data is |
224 | flushed to disc. By default, PuTTY will flush data as soon as it is |
225 | displayed, so that if you view the log file while a session is still |
226 | open, it will be up to date; and if the client system crashes, there's |
227 | a greater chance that the data will be preserved. |
228 | |
229 | However, this can incur a performance penalty. If PuTTY is running |
230 | slowly with logging enabled, you could try unchecking this option. Be |
231 | warned that the log file may not always be up to date as a result |
232 | (although it will of course be flushed when it is closed, for instance |
233 | at the end of a session). |
234 | |
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235 | \S{config-logssh} Options specific to SSH packet logging |
236 | |
237 | These options only apply if SSH packet data is being logged. |
238 | |
239 | The following options allow particularly sensitive portions of |
240 | unencrypted packets to be automatically left out of the log file. |
241 | They are only intended to deter casual nosiness; an attacker could |
242 | glean a lot of useful information from even these obfuscated logs |
243 | (e.g., length of password). |
244 | |
245 | \S2{config-logssh-omitpw} \q{Omit known password fields} |
246 | |
247 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{logging.ssh.omitpassword} |
248 | |
249 | When checked, password fields are removed from the log of transmitted |
250 | packets. (This includes any user responses to challenge-response |
251 | authentication methods such as \q{keyboard-interactive}.) This does |
252 | not include X11 authentication data if using X11 forwarding. |
253 | |
254 | Note that this will only omit data that PuTTY \e{knows} to be a |
255 | password. However, if you start another login session within your |
256 | PuTTY session, for instance, any password used will appear in the |
257 | clear in the packet log. The next option may be of use to protect |
258 | against this. |
259 | |
260 | This option is enabled by default. |
261 | |
262 | \S2{config-logssh-omitdata} \q{Omit session data} |
263 | |
264 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{logging.ssh.omitdata} |
265 | |
266 | When checked, all \q{session data} is omitted; this is defined as data |
267 | in terminal sessions and in forwarded channels (TCP, X11, and |
268 | authentication agent). This will usually substantially reduce the size |
269 | of the resulting log file. |
270 | |
271 | This option is disabled by default. |
272 | |
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273 | \H{config-terminal} The Terminal panel |
274 | |
275 | The Terminal configuration panel allows you to control the behaviour |
276 | of PuTTY's terminal emulation. |
277 | |
278 | \S{config-autowrap} \q{Auto wrap mode initially on} |
279 | |
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280 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{terminal.autowrap} |
281 | |
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282 | Auto wrap mode controls what happens when text printed in a PuTTY |
283 | window reaches the right-hand edge of the window. |
284 | |
285 | With auto wrap mode on, if a long line of text reaches the |
286 | right-hand edge, it will wrap over on to the next line so you can |
287 | still see all the text. With auto wrap mode off, the cursor will |
288 | stay at the right-hand edge of the screen, and all the characters in |
289 | the line will be printed on top of each other. |
290 | |
291 | If you are running a full-screen application and you occasionally |
292 | find the screen scrolling up when it looks as if it shouldn't, you |
293 | could try turning this option off. |
294 | |
295 | Auto wrap mode can be turned on and off by control sequences sent by |
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296 | the server. This configuration option controls the \e{default} |
297 | state, which will be restored when you reset the terminal (see |
298 | \k{reset-terminal}). However, if you modify this option in |
299 | mid-session using \q{Change Settings}, it will take effect |
300 | immediately. |
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301 | |
302 | \S{config-decom} \q{DEC Origin Mode initially on} |
303 | |
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304 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{terminal.decom} |
305 | |
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306 | DEC Origin Mode is a minor option which controls how PuTTY |
307 | interprets cursor-position control sequences sent by the server. |
308 | |
309 | The server can send a control sequence that restricts the scrolling |
310 | region of the display. For example, in an editor, the server might |
311 | reserve a line at the top of the screen and a line at the bottom, |
312 | and might send a control sequence that causes scrolling operations |
313 | to affect only the remaining lines. |
314 | |
315 | With DEC Origin Mode on, cursor coordinates are counted from the top |
316 | of the scrolling region. With it turned off, cursor coordinates are |
317 | counted from the top of the whole screen regardless of the scrolling |
318 | region. |
319 | |
320 | It is unlikely you would need to change this option, but if you find |
321 | a full-screen application is displaying pieces of text in what looks |
322 | like the wrong part of the screen, you could try turning DEC Origin |
323 | Mode on to see whether that helps. |
324 | |
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325 | DEC Origin Mode can be turned on and off by control sequences sent |
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326 | by the server. This configuration option controls the \e{default} |
327 | state, which will be restored when you reset the terminal (see |
328 | \k{reset-terminal}). However, if you modify this option in |
329 | mid-session using \q{Change Settings}, it will take effect |
330 | immediately. |
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331 | |
332 | \S{config-crlf} \q{Implicit CR in every LF} |
333 | |
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334 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{terminal.lfhascr} |
335 | |
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336 | Most servers send two control characters, CR and LF, to start a new |
337 | line of the screen. The CR character makes the cursor return to the |
338 | left-hand side of the screen. The LF character makes the cursor move |
339 | one line down (and might make the screen scroll). |
340 | |
341 | Some servers only send LF, and expect the terminal to move the |
342 | cursor over to the left automatically. If you come across a server |
343 | that does this, you will see a stepped effect on the screen, like |
344 | this: |
345 | |
346 | \c First line of text |
347 | \c Second line |
348 | \c Third line |
349 | |
350 | If this happens to you, try enabling the \q{Implicit CR in every LF} |
351 | option, and things might go back to normal: |
352 | |
353 | \c First line of text |
354 | \c Second line |
355 | \c Third line |
356 | |
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357 | \S{config-erase} \q{Use background colour to erase screen} |
358 | |
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359 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{terminal.bce} |
360 | |
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361 | Not all terminals agree on what colour to turn the screen when the |
362 | server sends a \q{clear screen} sequence. Some terminals believe the |
363 | screen should always be cleared to the \e{default} background |
364 | colour. Others believe the screen should be cleared to whatever the |
365 | server has selected as a background colour. |
366 | |
367 | There exist applications that expect both kinds of behaviour. |
368 | Therefore, PuTTY can be configured to do either. |
369 | |
370 | With this option disabled, screen clearing is always done in the |
371 | default background colour. With this option enabled, it is done in |
372 | the \e{current} background colour. |
373 | |
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374 | Background-colour erase can be turned on and off by control |
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375 | sequences sent by the server. This configuration option controls the |
376 | \e{default} state, which will be restored when you reset the |
377 | terminal (see \k{reset-terminal}). However, if you modify this |
378 | option in mid-session using \q{Change Settings}, it will take effect |
379 | immediately. |
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380 | |
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381 | \S{config-blink} \q{Enable blinking text} |
382 | |
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383 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{terminal.blink} |
384 | |
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385 | The server can ask PuTTY to display text that blinks on and off. |
386 | This is very distracting, so PuTTY allows you to turn blinking text |
387 | off completely. |
388 | |
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389 | When blinking text is disabled and the server attempts to make some |
390 | text blink, PuTTY will instead display the text with a bolded |
391 | background colour. |
392 | |
393 | Blinking text can be turned on and off by control sequences sent by |
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394 | the server. This configuration option controls the \e{default} |
395 | state, which will be restored when you reset the terminal (see |
396 | \k{reset-terminal}). However, if you modify this option in |
397 | mid-session using \q{Change Settings}, it will take effect |
398 | immediately. |
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399 | |
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400 | \S{config-answerback} \q{Answerback to ^E} |
401 | |
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402 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{terminal.answerback} |
403 | |
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404 | This option controls what PuTTY will send back to the server if the |
405 | server sends it the ^E enquiry character. Normally it just sends |
406 | the string \q{PuTTY}. |
407 | |
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408 | If you accidentally write the contents of a binary file to your |
409 | terminal, you will probably find that it contains more than one ^E |
410 | character, and as a result your next command line will probably read |
411 | \q{PuTTYPuTTYPuTTY...} as if you had typed the answerback string |
412 | multiple times at the keyboard. If you set the answerback string to |
413 | be empty, this problem should go away, but doing so might cause |
414 | other problems. |
415 | |
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416 | Note that this is \e{not} the feature of PuTTY which the server will |
417 | typically use to determine your terminal type. That feature is the |
418 | \q{Terminal-type string} in the Connection panel; see |
419 | \k{config-termtype} for details. |
420 | |
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421 | You can include control characters in the answerback string using |
422 | \c{^C} notation. (Use \c{^~} to get a literal \c{^}.) |
423 | |
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424 | \S{config-localecho} \q{Local echo} |
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425 | |
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426 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{terminal.localecho} |
427 | |
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428 | With local echo disabled, characters you type into the PuTTY window |
429 | are not echoed in the window \e{by PuTTY}. They are simply sent to |
430 | the server. (The \e{server} might choose to echo them back to you; |
431 | this can't be controlled from the PuTTY control panel.) |
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432 | |
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433 | Some types of session need local echo, and many do not. In its |
434 | default mode, PuTTY will automatically attempt to deduce whether or |
435 | not local echo is appropriate for the session you are working in. If |
436 | you find it has made the wrong decision, you can use this |
437 | configuration option to override its choice: you can force local |
438 | echo to be turned on, or force it to be turned off, instead of |
439 | relying on the automatic detection. |
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440 | |
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441 | \S{config-localedit} \q{Local line editing} |
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442 | |
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443 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{terminal.localedit} |
444 | |
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445 | Normally, every character you type into the PuTTY window is sent |
446 | immediately to the server the moment you type it. |
447 | |
448 | If you enable local line editing, this changes. PuTTY will let you |
449 | edit a whole line at a time locally, and the line will only be sent |
450 | to the server when you press Return. If you make a mistake, you can |
451 | use the Backspace key to correct it before you press Return, and the |
452 | server will never see the mistake. |
453 | |
454 | Since it is hard to edit a line locally without being able to see |
455 | it, local line editing is mostly used in conjunction with local echo |
456 | (\k{config-localecho}). This makes it ideal for use in raw mode |
457 | \#{FIXME} or when connecting to MUDs or talkers. (Although some more |
458 | advanced MUDs do occasionally turn local line editing on and turn |
459 | local echo off, in order to accept a password from the user.) |
460 | |
461 | Some types of session need local line editing, and many do not. In |
462 | its default mode, PuTTY will automatically attempt to deduce whether |
463 | or not local line editing is appropriate for the session you are |
464 | working in. If you find it has made the wrong decision, you can use |
465 | this configuration option to override its choice: you can force |
466 | local line editing to be turned on, or force it to be turned off, |
467 | instead of relying on the automatic detection. |
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468 | |
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469 | \S{config-printing} Remote-controlled printing |
470 | |
471 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{terminal.printing} |
472 | |
473 | A lot of VT100-compatible terminals support printing under control |
474 | of the remote server. PuTTY supports this feature as well, but it is |
475 | turned off by default. |
476 | |
477 | To enable remote-controlled printing, choose a printer from the |
478 | \q{Printer to send ANSI printer output to} drop-down list box. This |
479 | should allow you to select from all the printers you have installed |
480 | drivers for on your computer. Alternatively, you can type the |
481 | network name of a networked printer (for example, |
482 | \c{\\\\printserver\\printer1}) even if you haven't already |
483 | installed a driver for it on your own machine. |
484 | |
485 | When the remote server attempts to print some data, PuTTY will send |
486 | that data to the printer \e{raw} - without translating it, |
487 | attempting to format it, or doing anything else to it. It is up to |
488 | you to ensure your remote server knows what type of printer it is |
489 | talking to. |
490 | |
491 | Since PuTTY sends data to the printer raw, it cannot offer options |
492 | such as portrait versus landscape, print quality, or paper tray |
493 | selection. All these things would be done by your PC printer driver |
494 | (which PuTTY bypasses); if you need them done, you will have to find |
495 | a way to configure your remote server to do them. |
496 | |
497 | To disable remote printing again, choose \q{None (printing |
498 | disabled)} from the printer selection list. This is the default |
499 | state. |
500 | |
55ba634a |
501 | \H{config-keyboard} The Keyboard panel |
502 | |
1630bb61 |
503 | The Keyboard configuration panel allows you to control the behaviour |
504 | of the keyboard in PuTTY. |
505 | |
55ba634a |
506 | \S{config-backspace} Changing the action of the Backspace key |
507 | |
70133c0e |
508 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{keyboard.backspace} |
509 | |
1630bb61 |
510 | Some terminals believe that the Backspace key should send the same |
511 | thing to the server as Control-H (ASCII code 8). Other terminals |
512 | believe that the Backspace key should send ASCII code 127 (usually |
513 | known as Control-?) so that it can be distinguished from Control-H. |
514 | This option allows you to choose which code PuTTY generates when you |
515 | press Backspace. |
516 | |
517 | If you are connecting to a Unix system, you will probably find that |
518 | the Unix \c{stty} command lets you configure which the server |
519 | expects to see, so you might not need to change which one PuTTY |
520 | generates. On other systems, the server's expectation might be fixed |
521 | and you might have no choice but to configure PuTTY. |
522 | |
523 | If you do have the choice, we recommend configuring PuTTY to |
524 | generate Control-? and configuring the server to expect it, because |
525 | that allows applications such as \c{emacs} to use Control-H for |
526 | help. |
527 | |
5dce67f7 |
528 | (Typing \i{Shift-Backspace} will cause PuTTY to send whichever code |
529 | isn't configured here as the default.) |
530 | |
55ba634a |
531 | \S{config-homeend} Changing the action of the Home and End keys |
532 | |
70133c0e |
533 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{keyboard.homeend} |
534 | |
1630bb61 |
535 | The Unix terminal emulator \c{rxvt} disagrees with the rest of the |
536 | world about what character sequences should be sent to the server by |
537 | the Home and End keys. |
538 | |
539 | \c{xterm}, and other terminals, send \c{ESC [1~} for the Home key, |
540 | and \c{ESC [4~} for the End key. \c{rxvt} sends \c{ESC [H} for the |
541 | Home key and \c{ESC [Ow} for the End key. |
542 | |
543 | If you find an application on which the Home and End keys aren't |
544 | working, you could try switching this option to see if it helps. |
545 | |
55ba634a |
546 | \S{config-funkeys} Changing the action of the function keys and keypad |
547 | |
70133c0e |
548 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{keyboard.funkeys} |
549 | |
1630bb61 |
550 | This option affects the function keys (F1 to F12) and the top row of |
551 | the numeric keypad. |
552 | |
553 | \b In the default mode, labelled \c{ESC [n~}, the function keys |
554 | generate sequences like \c{ESC [11~}, \c{ESC [12~} and so on. This |
555 | matches the general behaviour of Digital's terminals. |
556 | |
557 | \b In Linux mode, F6 to F12 behave just like the default mode, but |
558 | F1 to F5 generate \c{ESC [[A} through to \c{ESC [[E}. This mimics the |
559 | Linux virtual console. |
560 | |
561 | \b In Xterm R6 mode, F5 to F12 behave like the default mode, but F1 |
562 | to F4 generate \c{ESC OP} through to \c{ESC OS}, which are the |
563 | sequences produced by the top row of the \e{keypad} on Digital's |
564 | terminals. |
565 | |
566 | \b In VT400 mode, all the function keys behave like the default |
567 | mode, but the actual top row of the numeric keypad generates \c{ESC |
568 | OP} through to \c{ESC OS}. |
569 | |
350ee898 |
570 | \b In VT100+ mode, the function keys generate \c{ESC OP} through to |
571 | \c{ESC O[} |
572 | |
573 | \b In SCO mode, the function keys F1 to F12 generate \c{ESC [M} |
574 | through to \c{ESC [X}. Together with shift, they generate \c{ESC [Y} |
575 | through to \c{ESC [j}. With control they generate \c{ESC [k} through |
576 | to \c{ESC [v}, and with shift and control together they generate |
577 | \c{ESC [w} through to \c{ESC [\{}. |
578 | |
1630bb61 |
579 | If you don't know what any of this means, you probably don't need to |
580 | fiddle with it. |
581 | |
55ba634a |
582 | \S{config-appcursor} Controlling Application Cursor Keys mode |
583 | |
70133c0e |
584 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{keyboard.appcursor} |
585 | |
1630bb61 |
586 | Application Cursor Keys mode is a way for the server to change the |
587 | control sequences sent by the arrow keys. In normal mode, the arrow |
588 | keys send \c{ESC [A} through to \c{ESC [D}. In application mode, |
589 | they send \c{ESC OA} through to \c{ESC OD}. |
590 | |
591 | Application Cursor Keys mode can be turned on and off by the server, |
592 | depending on the application. PuTTY allows you to configure the |
0d2086c5 |
593 | initial state. |
594 | |
595 | You can also disable application cursor keys mode completely, using |
596 | the \q{Features} configuration panel; see |
597 | \k{config-features-application}. |
1630bb61 |
598 | |
55ba634a |
599 | \S{config-appkeypad} Controlling Application Keypad mode |
600 | |
70133c0e |
601 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{keyboard.appkeypad} |
602 | |
1630bb61 |
603 | Application Keypad mode is a way for the server to change the |
604 | behaviour of the numeric keypad. |
605 | |
606 | In normal mode, the keypad behaves like a normal Windows keypad: |
607 | with NumLock on, the number keys generate numbers, and with NumLock |
608 | off they act like the arrow keys and Home, End etc. |
609 | |
610 | In application mode, all the keypad keys send special control |
611 | sequences, \e{including} Num Lock. Num Lock stops behaving like Num |
612 | Lock and becomes another function key. |
613 | |
614 | Depending on which version of Windows you run, you may find the Num |
615 | Lock light still flashes on and off every time you press Num Lock, |
616 | even when application mode is active and Num Lock is acting like a |
617 | function key. This is unavoidable. |
618 | |
619 | Application keypad mode can be turned on and off by the server, |
620 | depending on the application. PuTTY allows you to configure the |
0d2086c5 |
621 | initial state. |
622 | |
623 | You can also disable application keypad mode completely, using the |
624 | \q{Features} configuration panel; see |
625 | \k{config-features-application}. |
1630bb61 |
626 | |
55ba634a |
627 | \S{config-nethack} Using NetHack keypad mode |
628 | |
70133c0e |
629 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{keyboard.nethack} |
630 | |
1630bb61 |
631 | PuTTY has a special mode for playing NetHack. You can enable it by |
632 | selecting \q{NetHack} in the \q{Initial state of numeric keypad} |
633 | control. |
634 | |
635 | In this mode, the numeric keypad keys 1-9 generate the NetHack |
636 | movement commands (\cw{hjklyubn}). The 5 key generates the \c{.} |
637 | command (do nothing). |
638 | |
639 | Better still, pressing Shift with the keypad keys generates the |
640 | capital forms of the commands (\cw{HJKLYUBN}), which tells NetHack |
641 | to keep moving you in the same direction until you encounter |
642 | something interesting. |
643 | |
644 | For some reason, this feature only works properly when Num Lock is |
645 | on. We don't know why. |
646 | |
55ba634a |
647 | \S{config-compose} Enabling a DEC-like Compose key |
648 | |
70133c0e |
649 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{keyboard.compose} |
650 | |
1630bb61 |
651 | DEC terminals have a Compose key, which provides an easy-to-remember |
652 | way of typing accented characters. You press Compose and then type |
653 | two more characters. The two characters are \q{combined} to produce |
654 | an accented character. The choices of character are designed to be |
655 | easy to remember; for example, composing \q{e} and \q{`} produces |
656 | the \q{\u00e8{e-grave}} character. |
657 | |
3b7825af |
658 | If your keyboard has a Windows Application key, it acts as a Compose |
659 | key in PuTTY. Alternatively, if you enable the \q{AltGr acts as |
660 | Compose key} option, the AltGr key will become a Compose key. |
1630bb61 |
661 | |
add788fc |
662 | \S{config-ctrlalt} \q{Control-Alt is different from AltGr} |
b5752f1b |
663 | |
70133c0e |
664 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{keyboard.ctrlalt} |
665 | |
add788fc |
666 | Some old keyboards do not have an AltGr key, which can make it |
667 | difficult to type some characters. PuTTY can be configured to treat |
668 | the key combination Ctrl + Left Alt the same way as the AltGr key. |
b5752f1b |
669 | |
add788fc |
670 | By default, this checkbox is checked, and the key combination Ctrl + |
671 | Left Alt does something completely different. PuTTY's usual handling |
672 | of the left Alt key is to prefix the Escape (Control-\cw{[}) |
673 | character to whatever character sequence the rest of the keypress |
674 | would generate. For example, Alt-A generates Escape followed by |
675 | \c{a}. So Alt-Ctrl-A would generate Escape, followed by Control-A. |
b5752f1b |
676 | |
add788fc |
677 | If you uncheck this box, Ctrl-Alt will become a synonym for AltGr, |
678 | so you can use it to type extra graphic characters if your keyboard |
679 | has any. |
b5752f1b |
680 | |
3b7825af |
681 | (However, Ctrl-Alt will never act as a Compose key, regardless of the |
682 | setting of \q{AltGr acts as Compose key} described in |
683 | \k{config-compose}.) |
684 | |
a5a6cb30 |
685 | \H{config-bell} The Bell panel |
686 | |
687 | The Bell panel controls the terminal bell feature: the server's |
688 | ability to cause PuTTY to beep at you. |
689 | |
690 | In the default configuration, when the server sends the character |
691 | with ASCII code 7 (Control-G), PuTTY will play the Windows Default |
692 | Beep sound. This is not always what you want the terminal bell |
693 | feature to do; the Bell panel allows you to configure alternative |
694 | actions. |
695 | |
696 | \S{config-bellstyle} \q{Set the style of bell} |
697 | |
70133c0e |
698 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{bell.style} |
699 | |
a5a6cb30 |
700 | This control allows you to select various different actions to occur |
701 | on a terminal bell: |
702 | |
703 | \b Selecting \q{None} disables the bell completely. In this mode, |
704 | the server can send as many Control-G characters as it likes and |
705 | nothing at all will happen. |
706 | |
fe8abbf4 |
707 | \b \q{Make default system alert sound} is the default setting. It |
708 | causes the Windows \q{Default Beep} sound to be played. To change |
709 | what this sound is, or to test it if nothing seems to be happening, |
710 | use the Sound configurer in the Windows Control Panel. |
711 | |
712 | \b \q{Visual bell} is a silent alternative to a beeping computer. In |
713 | this mode, when the server sends a Control-G, the whole PuTTY window |
714 | will flash white for a fraction of a second. |
a5a6cb30 |
715 | |
cfe9ce14 |
716 | \b \q{Beep using the PC speaker} is self-explanatory. |
717 | |
a5a6cb30 |
718 | \b \q{Play a custom sound file} allows you to specify a particular |
719 | sound file to be used by PuTTY alone, or even by a particular |
720 | individual PuTTY session. This allows you to distinguish your PuTTY |
721 | beeps from any other beeps on the system. If you select this option, |
722 | you will also need to enter the name of your sound file in the edit |
723 | control \q{Custom sound file to play as a bell}. |
724 | |
a5a6cb30 |
725 | \S{config-belltaskbar} \q{Taskbar/caption indication on bell} |
726 | |
70133c0e |
727 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{bell.taskbar} |
728 | |
a5a6cb30 |
729 | This feature controls what happens to the PuTTY window's entry in |
730 | the Windows Taskbar if a bell occurs while the window does not have |
731 | the input focus. |
732 | |
733 | In the default state (\q{Disabled}) nothing unusual happens. |
734 | |
735 | If you select \q{Steady}, then when a bell occurs and the window is |
736 | not in focus, the window's Taskbar entry and its title bar will |
737 | change colour to let you know that PuTTY session is asking for your |
738 | attention. The change of colour will persist until you select the |
739 | window, so you can leave several PuTTY windows minimised in your |
740 | terminal, go away from your keyboard, and be sure not to have missed |
741 | any important beeps when you get back. |
742 | |
743 | \q{Flashing} is even more eye-catching: the Taskbar entry will |
744 | continuously flash on and off until you select the window. |
745 | |
746 | \S{config-bellovl} \q{Control the bell overload behaviour} |
747 | |
70133c0e |
748 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{bell.overload} |
749 | |
a5a6cb30 |
750 | A common user error in a terminal session is to accidentally run the |
751 | Unix command \c{cat} (or equivalent) on an inappropriate file type, |
752 | such as an executable, image file, or ZIP file. This produces a huge |
753 | stream of non-text characters sent to the terminal, which typically |
754 | includes a lot of bell characters. As a result of this the terminal |
755 | often doesn't stop beeping for ten minutes, and everybody else in |
756 | the office gets annoyed. |
757 | |
758 | To try to avoid this behaviour, or any other cause of excessive |
759 | beeping, PuTTY includes a bell overload management feature. In the |
760 | default configuration, receiving more than five bell characters in a |
761 | two-second period will cause the overload feature to activate. Once |
762 | the overload feature is active, further bells will have no effect at |
763 | all, so the rest of your binary file will be sent to the screen in |
764 | silence. After a period of five seconds during which no further |
765 | bells are received, the overload feature will turn itself off again |
766 | and bells will be re-enabled. |
767 | |
768 | If you want this feature completely disabled, you can turn it off |
769 | using the checkbox \q{Bell is temporarily disabled when over-used}. |
770 | |
771 | Alternatively, if you like the bell overload feature but don't agree |
772 | with the settings, you can configure the details: how many bells |
773 | constitute an overload, how short a time period they have to arrive |
774 | in to do so, and how much silent time is required before the |
775 | overload feature will deactivate itself. |
776 | |
2cb50250 |
777 | Bell overload mode is always deactivated by any keypress in the |
778 | terminal. This means it can respond to large unexpected streams of |
779 | data, but does not interfere with ordinary command-line activities |
780 | that generate beeps (such as filename completion). |
781 | |
0d2086c5 |
782 | \H{config-features} The Features panel |
783 | |
784 | PuTTY's terminal emulation is very highly featured, and can do a lot |
785 | of things under remote server control. Some of these features can |
786 | cause problems due to buggy or strangely configured server |
787 | applications. |
788 | |
789 | The Features configuration panel allows you to disable some of |
790 | PuTTY's more advanced terminal features, in case they cause trouble. |
791 | |
792 | \S{config-features-application} Disabling application keypad and cursor keys |
793 | |
794 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.application} |
795 | |
796 | Application keypad mode (see \k{config-appkeypad}) and application |
797 | cursor keys mode (see \k{config-appcursor}) alter the behaviour of |
798 | the keypad and cursor keys. Some applications enable these modes but |
799 | then do not deal correctly with the modified keys. You can force |
800 | these modes to be permanently disabled no matter what the server |
801 | tries to do. |
802 | |
c0d36a72 |
803 | \S{config-features-mouse} Disabling \cw{xterm}-style mouse reporting |
804 | |
805 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.mouse} |
806 | |
807 | PuTTY allows the server to send control codes that let it take over |
808 | the mouse and use it for purposes other than copy and paste. |
809 | Applications which use this feature include the text-mode web |
810 | browser \c{links}, the Usenet newsreader \c{trn} version 4, and the |
811 | file manager \c{mc} (Midnight Commander). |
812 | |
813 | If you find this feature inconvenient, you can disable it using the |
814 | \q{Disable xterm-style mouse reporting} control. With this box |
815 | ticked, the mouse will \e{always} do copy and paste in the normal |
816 | way. |
817 | |
818 | Note that even if the application takes over the mouse, you can |
819 | still manage PuTTY's copy and paste by holding down the Shift key |
820 | while you select and paste, unless you have deliberately turned this |
821 | feature off (see \k{config-mouseshift}). |
822 | |
0d2086c5 |
823 | \S{config-features-resize} Disabling remote terminal resizing |
824 | |
825 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.resize} |
826 | |
827 | PuTTY has the ability to change the terminal's size and position in |
828 | response to commands from the server. If you find PuTTY is doing |
829 | this unexpectedly or inconveniently, you can tell PuTTY not to |
830 | respond to those server commands. |
831 | |
832 | \S{config-features-altscreen} Disabling switching to the alternate screen |
833 | |
834 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.altscreen} |
835 | |
836 | Many terminals, including PuTTY, support an \q{alternate screen}. |
837 | This is the same size as the ordinary terminal screen, but separate. |
838 | Typically a screen-based program such as a text editor might switch |
839 | the terminal to the alternate screen before starting up. Then at the |
840 | end of the run, it switches back to the primary screen, and you see |
841 | the screen contents just as they were before starting the editor. |
842 | |
843 | Some people prefer this not to happen. If you want your editor to |
844 | run in the same screen as the rest of your terminal activity, you |
845 | can disable the alternate screen feature completely. |
846 | |
847 | \S{config-features-retitle} Disabling remote window title changing |
848 | |
849 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.retitle} |
850 | |
851 | PuTTY has the ability to change the window title in response to |
852 | commands from the server. If you find PuTTY is doing this |
853 | unexpectedly or inconveniently, you can tell PuTTY not to respond to |
854 | those server commands. |
855 | |
7fcdebd3 |
856 | \S{config-features-qtitle} Disabling remote window title querying |
857 | |
858 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.qtitle} |
859 | |
860 | PuTTY can optionally provide the xterm service of allowing server |
861 | applications to find out the local window title. This feature is |
862 | disabled by default, but you can turn it on if you really want it. |
863 | |
864 | NOTE that this feature is a \e{potential security hazard}. If a |
865 | malicious application can write data to your terminal (for example, |
866 | if you merely \c{cat} a file owned by someone else on the server |
867 | machine), it can change your window title (unless you have disabled |
868 | this as mentioned in \k{config-features-retitle}) and then use this |
869 | service to have the new window title sent back to the server as if |
870 | typed at the keyboard. This allows an attacker to fake keypresses |
871 | and potentially cause your server-side applications to do things you |
872 | didn't want. Therefore this feature is disabled by default, and we |
873 | recommend you do not turn it on unless you \e{really} know what you |
874 | are doing. |
875 | |
0d2086c5 |
876 | \S{config-features-dbackspace} Disabling destructive backspace |
877 | |
878 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.dbackspace} |
879 | |
880 | Normally, when PuTTY receives character 127 (^?) from the server, it |
881 | will perform a \q{destructive backspace}: move the cursor one space |
882 | left and delete the character under it. This can apparently cause |
883 | problems in some applications, so PuTTY provides the ability to |
884 | configure character 127 to perform a normal backspace (without |
885 | deleting a character) instead. |
886 | |
887 | \S{config-features-charset} Disabling remote character set |
888 | configuration |
889 | |
890 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.charset} |
891 | |
892 | PuTTY has the ability to change its character set configuration in |
893 | response to commands from the server. Some programs send these |
894 | commands unexpectedly or inconveniently. In particular, BitchX (an |
895 | IRC client) seems to have a habit of reconfiguring the character set |
896 | to something other than the user intended. |
897 | |
898 | If you find that accented characters are not showing up the way you |
899 | expect them to, particularly if you're running BitchX, you could try |
900 | disabling the remote character set configuration commands. |
901 | |
f0fccd51 |
902 | \S{config-features-shaping} Disabling Arabic text shaping |
903 | |
904 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.arabicshaping} |
905 | |
906 | PuTTY supports shaping of Arabic text, which means that if your |
907 | server sends text written in the basic Unicode Arabic alphabet then |
908 | it will convert it to the correct display forms before printing it |
909 | on the screen. |
910 | |
911 | If you are using full-screen software which was not expecting this |
912 | to happen (especially if you are not an Arabic speaker and you |
913 | unexpectedly find yourself dealing with Arabic text files in |
914 | applications which are not Arabic-aware), you might find that the |
915 | display becomes corrupted. By ticking this box, you can disable |
916 | Arabic text shaping so that PuTTY displays precisely the characters |
917 | it is told to display. |
918 | |
919 | You may also find you need to disable bidirectional text display; |
34ef39bd |
920 | see \k{config-features-bidi}. |
f0fccd51 |
921 | |
922 | \S{config-features-bidi} Disabling bidirectional text display |
923 | |
924 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{features.bidi} |
925 | |
926 | PuTTY supports bidirectional text display, which means that if your |
927 | server sends text written in a language which is usually displayed |
928 | from right to left (such as Arabic or Hebrew) then PuTTY will |
929 | automatically flip it round so that it is displayed in the right |
930 | direction on the screen. |
931 | |
932 | If you are using full-screen software which was not expecting this |
933 | to happen (especially if you are not an Arabic speaker and you |
934 | unexpectedly find yourself dealing with Arabic text files in |
935 | applications which are not Arabic-aware), you might find that the |
936 | display becomes corrupted. By ticking this box, you can disable |
937 | bidirectional text display, so that PuTTY displays text from left to |
938 | right in all situations. |
939 | |
940 | You may also find you need to disable Arabic text shaping; |
34ef39bd |
941 | see \k{config-features-shaping}. |
f0fccd51 |
942 | |
55ba634a |
943 | \H{config-window} The Window panel |
944 | |
1630bb61 |
945 | The Window configuration panel allows you to control aspects of the |
a5a6cb30 |
946 | PuTTY window. |
1630bb61 |
947 | |
55ba634a |
948 | \S{config-winsize} Setting the size of the PuTTY window |
949 | |
70133c0e |
950 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{window.size} |
951 | |
d60c975d |
952 | The \q{Rows} and \q{Columns} boxes let you set the PuTTY window to a |
1630bb61 |
953 | precise size. Of course you can also drag the window to a new size |
954 | while a session is running. |
955 | |
a5a6cb30 |
956 | \S{config-winsizelock} What to do when the window is resized |
add788fc |
957 | |
70133c0e |
958 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{window.resize} |
959 | |
add788fc |
960 | These options allow you to control what happens when the user tries |
5dce67f7 |
961 | to resize the PuTTY window using its window furniture. |
add788fc |
962 | |
5dce67f7 |
963 | There are four options here: |
add788fc |
964 | |
5dce67f7 |
965 | \b \q{Change the number of rows and columns}: the font size will not |
966 | change. (This is the default.) |
add788fc |
967 | |
5dce67f7 |
968 | \b \q{Change the size of the font}: the number of rows and columns in |
969 | the terminal will stay the same, and the font size will change. |
add788fc |
970 | |
5dce67f7 |
971 | \b \q{Change font size when maximised}: when the window is resized, |
972 | the number of rows and columns will change, \e{except} when the window |
973 | is maximised (or restored), when the font size will change. |
a5a6cb30 |
974 | |
5dce67f7 |
975 | \b \q{Forbid resizing completely}: the terminal will refuse to be |
976 | resized at all. |
1630bb61 |
977 | |
55ba634a |
978 | \S{config-scrollback} Controlling scrollback |
979 | |
70133c0e |
980 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{window.scrollback} |
981 | |
fc5a8711 |
982 | These options let you configure the way PuTTY keeps text after it |
983 | scrolls off the top of the screen (see \k{using-scrollback}). |
1630bb61 |
984 | |
985 | The \q{Lines of scrollback} box lets you configure how many lines of |
a5a6cb30 |
986 | text PuTTY keeps. The \q{Display scrollbar} options allow you to |
1630bb61 |
987 | hide the scrollbar (although you can still view the scrollback using |
01fe3d80 |
988 | the keyboard as described in \k{using-scrollback}). You can separately |
989 | configure whether the scrollbar is shown in full-screen mode and in |
990 | normal modes. |
1630bb61 |
991 | |
992 | If you are viewing part of the scrollback when the server sends more |
993 | text to PuTTY, the screen will revert to showing the current |
994 | terminal contents. You can disable this behaviour by turning off |
995 | \q{Reset scrollback on display activity}. You can also make the |
996 | screen revert when you press a key, by turning on \q{Reset |
997 | scrollback on keypress}. |
998 | |
ec3f19be |
999 | \S{config-erasetoscrollback} \q{Push erased text into scrollback} |
876e5d5e |
1000 | |
1001 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{window.erased} |
1002 | |
1003 | When this option is enabled, the contents of the terminal screen |
1004 | will be pushed into the scrollback when a server-side application |
1005 | clears the screen, so that your scrollback will contain a better |
1006 | record of what was on your screen in the past. |
1007 | |
1008 | If the application switches to the alternate screen (see |
1009 | \k{config-features-altscreen} for more about this), then the |
1010 | contents of the primary screen will be visible in the scrollback |
1011 | until the application switches back again. |
1012 | |
1013 | This option is enabled by default. |
1014 | |
55ba634a |
1015 | \H{config-appearance} The Appearance panel |
1016 | |
1630bb61 |
1017 | The Appearance configuration panel allows you to control aspects of |
a5a6cb30 |
1018 | the appearance of PuTTY's window. |
1630bb61 |
1019 | |
55ba634a |
1020 | \S{config-cursor} Controlling the appearance of the cursor |
1021 | |
70133c0e |
1022 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{appearance.cursor} |
1023 | |
26c8f51a |
1024 | The \q{Cursor appearance} option lets you configure the cursor to be |
1025 | a block, an underline, or a vertical line. A block cursor becomes an |
1026 | empty box when the window loses focus; an underline or a vertical |
1027 | line becomes dotted. |
1028 | |
1029 | The \q{Cursor blinks} option makes the cursor blink on and off. This |
1030 | works in any of the cursor modes. |
55ba634a |
1031 | |
1032 | \S{config-font} Controlling the font used in the terminal window |
1033 | |
70133c0e |
1034 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{appearance.font} |
1035 | |
add788fc |
1036 | This option allows you to choose what font, in what size, the PuTTY |
1037 | terminal window uses to display the text in the session. You will be |
1038 | offered a choice from all the fixed-width fonts installed on the |
1039 | system. (VT100-style terminal handling can only deal with fixed- |
1040 | width fonts.) |
26c8f51a |
1041 | |
add788fc |
1042 | \S{config-mouseptr} \q{Hide mouse pointer when typing in window} |
1043 | |
70133c0e |
1044 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{appearance.hidemouse} |
1045 | |
add788fc |
1046 | If you enable this option, the mouse pointer will disappear if the |
1047 | PuTTY window is selected and you press a key. This way, it will not |
1048 | obscure any of the text in the window while you work in your |
1049 | session. As soon as you move the mouse, the pointer will reappear. |
1050 | |
1051 | This option is disabled by default, so the mouse pointer remains |
1052 | visible at all times. |
1053 | |
1054 | \S{config-winborder} Controlling the window border |
1055 | |
70133c0e |
1056 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{appearance.border} |
1057 | |
add788fc |
1058 | PuTTY allows you to configure the appearance of the window border to |
1059 | some extent. |
1060 | |
1061 | The checkbox marked \q{Sunken-edge border} changes the appearance of |
1062 | the window border to something more like a DOS box: the inside edge |
1063 | of the border is highlighted as if it sank down to meet the surface |
1064 | inside the window. This makes the border a little bit thicker as |
1065 | well. It's hard to describe well. Try it and see if you like it. |
1066 | |
1067 | You can also configure a completely blank gap between the text in |
1068 | the window and the border, using the \q{Gap between text and window |
1069 | edge} control. By default this is set at one pixel. You can reduce |
1070 | it to zero, or increase it further. |
1071 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1072 | \H{config-behaviour} The Behaviour panel |
1073 | |
1074 | The Behaviour configuration panel allows you to control aspects of |
1075 | the behaviour of PuTTY's window. |
1076 | |
fe8abbf4 |
1077 | \S{config-title} Controlling the window title |
1078 | |
1079 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{appearance.title} |
1080 | |
1081 | The \q{Window title} edit box allows you to set the title of the |
1082 | PuTTY window. By default the window title will contain the host name |
1083 | followed by \q{PuTTY}, for example \c{server1.example.com - PuTTY}. |
1084 | If you want a different window title, this is where to set it. |
1085 | |
1086 | PuTTY allows the server to send \c{xterm} control sequences which |
bc0bbee2 |
1087 | modify the title of the window in mid-session (unless this is disabled - |
1088 | see \k{config-features-retitle}); the title string set here |
1089 | is therefore only the \e{initial} window title. |
1090 | |
1091 | As well as the \e{window} title, there is also an |
fe8abbf4 |
1092 | \c{xterm} sequence to modify the title of the window's \e{icon}. |
1093 | This makes sense in a windowing system where the window becomes an |
1094 | icon when minimised, such as Windows 3.1 or most X Window System |
1095 | setups; but in the Windows 95-like user interface it isn't as |
1096 | applicable. |
1097 | |
1098 | By default, PuTTY only uses the server-supplied \e{window} title, and |
1099 | ignores the icon title entirely. If for some reason you want to see |
1100 | both titles, check the box marked \q{Separate window and icon titles}. |
1101 | If you do this, PuTTY's window title and Taskbar caption will |
1102 | change into the server-supplied icon title if you minimise the PuTTY |
1103 | window, and change back to the server-supplied window title if you |
1104 | restore it. (If the server has not bothered to supply a window or |
1105 | icon title, none of this will happen.) |
1106 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1107 | \S{config-warnonclose} \q{Warn before closing window} |
1108 | |
70133c0e |
1109 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.closewarn} |
1110 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1111 | If you press the Close button in a PuTTY window that contains a |
1112 | running session, PuTTY will put up a warning window asking if you |
1113 | really meant to close the window. A window whose session has already |
1114 | terminated can always be closed without a warning. |
1115 | |
1116 | If you want to be able to close a window quickly, you can disable |
1117 | the \q{Warn before closing window} option. |
1118 | |
1119 | \S{config-altf4} \q{Window closes on ALT-F4} |
1120 | |
70133c0e |
1121 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.altf4} |
1122 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1123 | By default, pressing ALT-F4 causes the window to close (or a warning |
1124 | box to appear; see \k{config-warnonclose}). If you disable the |
1125 | \q{Window closes on ALT-F4} option, then pressing ALT-F4 will simply |
1126 | send a key sequence to the server. |
1127 | |
1128 | \S{config-altspace} \q{System menu appears on ALT-Space} |
1129 | |
70133c0e |
1130 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.altspace} |
1131 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1132 | If this option is enabled, then pressing ALT-Space will bring up the |
1133 | PuTTY window's menu, like clicking on the top left corner. If it is |
1134 | disabled, then pressing ALT-Space will just send \c{ESC SPACE} to |
1135 | the server. |
1136 | |
1137 | Some accessibility programs for Windows may need this option |
1138 | enabling to be able to control PuTTY's window successfully. For |
1139 | instance, Dragon NaturallySpeaking requires it both to open the |
1140 | system menu via voice, and to close, minimise, maximise and restore |
1141 | the window. |
1142 | |
1143 | \S{config-altonly} \q{System menu appears on Alt alone} |
1144 | |
70133c0e |
1145 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.altonly} |
1146 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1147 | If this option is enabled, then pressing and releasing ALT will |
1148 | bring up the PuTTY window's menu, like clicking on the top left |
1149 | corner. If it is disabled, then pressing and releasing ALT will have |
1150 | no effect. |
1151 | |
1152 | \S{config-alwaysontop} \q{Ensure window is always on top} |
1153 | |
70133c0e |
1154 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.alwaysontop} |
1155 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1156 | If this option is enabled, the PuTTY window will stay on top of all |
1157 | other windows. |
1158 | |
1159 | \S{config-fullscreen} \q{Full screen on Alt-Enter} |
1160 | |
70133c0e |
1161 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{behaviour.altenter} |
1162 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1163 | If this option is enabled, then pressing Alt-Enter will cause the |
2f8d6d43 |
1164 | PuTTY window to become full-screen. Pressing Alt-Enter again will |
1165 | restore the previous window size. |
1166 | |
1167 | The full-screen feature is also available from the System menu, even |
1168 | when it is configured not to be available on the Alt-Enter key. See |
1169 | \k{using-fullscreen}. |
a5a6cb30 |
1170 | |
55ba634a |
1171 | \H{config-translation} The Translation panel |
1172 | |
1630bb61 |
1173 | The Translation configuration panel allows you to control the |
1174 | translation between the character set understood by the server and |
1175 | the character set understood by PuTTY. |
1176 | |
add788fc |
1177 | \S{config-charset} Controlling character set translation |
1178 | |
70133c0e |
1179 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{translation.codepage} |
1180 | |
add788fc |
1181 | During an interactive session, PuTTY receives a stream of 8-bit |
1182 | bytes from the server, and in order to display them on the screen it |
1183 | needs to know what character set to interpret them in. |
1184 | |
1185 | There are a lot of character sets to choose from. The \q{Received |
1186 | data assumed to be in which character set} option lets you select |
1187 | one. By default PuTTY will attempt to choose a character set that is |
1188 | right for your locale as reported by Windows; if it gets it wrong, |
1189 | you can select a different one using this control. |
1190 | |
1191 | A few notable character sets are: |
1192 | |
1193 | \b The ISO-8859 series are all standard character sets that include |
1194 | various accented characters appropriate for different sets of |
1195 | languages. |
55ba634a |
1196 | |
add788fc |
1197 | \b The Win125x series are defined by Microsoft, for similar |
1198 | purposes. In particular Win1252 is almost equivalent to ISO-8859-1, |
1199 | but contains a few extra characters such as matched quotes and the |
1200 | Euro symbol. |
55ba634a |
1201 | |
add788fc |
1202 | \b If you want the old IBM PC character set with block graphics and |
1203 | line-drawing characters, you can select \q{CP437}. |
1204 | |
1205 | \b PuTTY also supports Unicode mode, in which the data coming from |
1206 | the server is interpreted as being in the UTF-8 encoding of Unicode. |
1207 | If you select \q{UTF-8} as a character set you can use this mode. |
1208 | Not all server-side applications will support it. |
1209 | |
6c8727b2 |
1210 | If you need support for a numeric code page which is not listed in |
d8262877 |
1211 | the drop-down list, such as code page 866, then you can try entering |
1212 | its name manually (\c{CP866} for example) in the list box. If the |
1213 | underlying version of Windows has the appropriate translation table |
1214 | installed, PuTTY will use it. |
6c8727b2 |
1215 | |
add788fc |
1216 | \S{config-cyr} \q{Caps Lock acts as Cyrillic switch} |
1217 | |
70133c0e |
1218 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{translation.cyrillic} |
1219 | |
add788fc |
1220 | This feature allows you to switch between a US/UK keyboard layout |
1221 | and a Cyrillic keyboard layout by using the Caps Lock key, if you |
1222 | need to type (for example) Russian and English side by side in the |
1223 | same document. |
1224 | |
1225 | Currently this feature is not expected to work properly if your |
1226 | native keyboard layout is not US or UK. |
1227 | |
1228 | \S{config-linedraw} Controlling display of line drawing characters |
1229 | |
70133c0e |
1230 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{translation.linedraw} |
1231 | |
f80d4744 |
1232 | VT100-series terminals allow the server to send control sequences that |
1233 | shift temporarily into a separate character set for drawing simple |
1234 | lines and boxes. However, there are a variety of ways in which PuTTY |
1235 | can attempt to find appropriate characters, and the right one to use |
1236 | depends on the locally configured font. In general you should probably |
1237 | try lots of options until you find one that your particular font |
1238 | supports. |
1239 | |
1240 | \b \q{Use Unicode line drawing code points} tries to use the box |
1241 | characters that are present in Unicode. For good Unicode-supporting |
1242 | fonts this is probably the most reliable and functional option. |
1243 | |
1244 | \b \q{Poor man's line drawing} assumes that the font \e{cannot} |
1245 | generate the line and box characters at all, so it will use the |
1246 | \c{+}, \c{-} and \c{|} characters to draw approximations to boxes. |
1247 | You should use this option if none of the other options works. |
add788fc |
1248 | |
1249 | \b \q{Font has XWindows encoding} is for use with fonts that have a |
1250 | special encoding, where the lowest 32 character positions (below the |
1251 | ASCII printable range) contain the line-drawing characters. This is |
1252 | unlikely to be the case with any standard Windows font; it will |
1253 | probably only apply to custom-built fonts or fonts that have been |
1254 | automatically converted from the X Window System. |
1255 | |
1256 | \b \q{Use font in both ANSI and OEM modes} tries to use the same |
1257 | font in two different character sets, to obtain a wider range of |
1258 | characters. This doesn't always work; some fonts claim to be a |
1259 | different size depending on which character set you try to use. |
1260 | |
1261 | \b \q{Use font in OEM mode only} is more reliable than that, but can |
1262 | miss out other characters from the main character set. |
1263 | |
00381fc7 |
1264 | \S{config-linedrawpaste} Controlling copy and paste of line drawing |
add788fc |
1265 | characters |
1266 | |
70133c0e |
1267 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{selection.linedraw} |
1268 | |
add788fc |
1269 | By default, when you copy and paste a piece of the PuTTY screen that |
931e13e1 |
1270 | contains VT100 line and box drawing characters, PuTTY will paste |
1271 | them in the form they appear on the screen: either Unicode line |
1272 | drawing code points, or the \q{poor man's} line-drawing characters |
00381fc7 |
1273 | \c{+}, \c{-} and \c{|}. The checkbox \q{Copy and paste VT100 line |
1274 | drawing chars as lqqqk} disables this feature, so line-drawing |
1275 | characters will be pasted as the ASCII characters that were printed |
1276 | to produce them. This will typically mean they come out mostly as |
1277 | \c{q} and \c{x}, with a scattering of \c{jklmntuvw} at the corners. |
1278 | This might be useful if you were trying to recreate the same box |
1279 | layout in another program, for example. |
931e13e1 |
1280 | |
1281 | Note that this option only applies to line-drawing characters which |
1282 | \e{were} printed by using the VT100 mechanism. Line-drawing |
f80d4744 |
1283 | characters that were received as Unicode code points will paste as |
1284 | Unicode always. |
add788fc |
1285 | |
00381fc7 |
1286 | \H{config-selection} The Selection panel |
1287 | |
1288 | The Selection panel allows you to control the way copy and paste |
1289 | work in the PuTTY window. |
1290 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1291 | \S{config-rtfpaste} Pasting in Rich Text Format |
1292 | |
70133c0e |
1293 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{selection.rtf} |
1294 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1295 | If you enable \q{Paste to clipboard in RTF as well as plain text}, |
1296 | PuTTY will write formatting information to the clipboard as well as |
1297 | the actual text you copy. Currently the only effect of this will be |
1298 | that if you paste into (say) a word processor, the text will appear |
1299 | in the word processor in the same font PuTTY was using to display |
1300 | it. In future it is likely that other formatting information (bold, |
1301 | underline, colours) will be copied as well. |
1302 | |
1303 | This option can easily be inconvenient, so by default it is |
1304 | disabled. |
1305 | |
55ba634a |
1306 | \S{config-mouse} Changing the actions of the mouse buttons |
1307 | |
70133c0e |
1308 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{selection.buttons} |
1309 | |
16fcd521 |
1310 | PuTTY's copy and paste mechanism is by default modelled on the Unix |
1311 | \c{xterm} application. The X Window System uses a three-button mouse, |
1312 | and the convention is that the left button selects, the right button |
1313 | extends an existing selection, and the middle button pastes. |
add788fc |
1314 | |
16fcd521 |
1315 | Windows often only has two mouse buttons, so in PuTTY's default |
1316 | configuration (\q{Compromise}), the \e{right} button pastes, and the |
1317 | \e{middle} button (if you have one) extends a selection. |
add788fc |
1318 | |
1319 | If you have a three-button mouse and you are already used to the |
1320 | \c{xterm} arrangement, you can select it using the \q{Action of |
1321 | mouse buttons} control. |
1322 | |
16fcd521 |
1323 | Alternatively, with the \q{Windows} option selected, the middle |
1324 | button extends, and the right button brings up a context menu (on |
1325 | which one of the options is \q{Paste}). (This context menu is always |
1326 | available by holding down Ctrl and right-clicking, regardless of the |
1327 | setting of this option.) |
1328 | |
add788fc |
1329 | \S{config-mouseshift} \q{Shift overrides application's use of mouse} |
1330 | |
70133c0e |
1331 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{selection.shiftdrag} |
1332 | |
add788fc |
1333 | PuTTY allows the server to send control codes that let it take over |
1334 | the mouse and use it for purposes other than copy and paste. |
1335 | Applications which use this feature include the text-mode web |
1336 | browser \c{links}, the Usenet newsreader \c{trn} version 4, and the |
1337 | file manager \c{mc} (Midnight Commander). |
1338 | |
1339 | When running one of these applications, pressing the mouse buttons |
1340 | no longer performs copy and paste. If you do need to copy and paste, |
1341 | you can still do so if you hold down Shift while you do your mouse |
1342 | clicks. |
1343 | |
1344 | However, it is possible in theory for applications to even detect |
1345 | and make use of Shift + mouse clicks. We don't know of any |
1346 | applications that do this, but in case someone ever writes one, |
1347 | unchecking the \q{Shift overrides application's use of mouse} |
1348 | checkbox will cause Shift + mouse clicks to go to the server as well |
1349 | (so that mouse-driven copy and paste will be completely disabled). |
1350 | |
c0d36a72 |
1351 | If you want to prevent the application from taking over the mouse at |
1352 | all, you can do this using the Features control panel; see |
1353 | \k{config-features-mouse}. |
1354 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1355 | \S{config-rectselect} Default selection mode |
1356 | |
70133c0e |
1357 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{selection.rect} |
1358 | |
a5a6cb30 |
1359 | As described in \k{using-selection}, PuTTY has two modes of |
1360 | selecting text to be copied to the clipboard. In the default mode |
1361 | (\q{Normal}), dragging the mouse from point A to point B selects to |
1362 | the end of the line containing A, all the lines in between, and from |
1363 | the very beginning of the line containing B. In the other mode |
1364 | (\q{Rectangular block}), dragging the mouse between two points |
1365 | defines a rectangle, and everything within that rectangle is copied. |
1366 | |
1367 | Normally, you have to hold down Alt while dragging the mouse to |
1368 | select a rectangular block. Using the \q{Default selection mode} |
1369 | control, you can set rectangular selection as the default, and then |
1370 | you have to hold down Alt to get the \e{normal} behaviour. |
1371 | |
55ba634a |
1372 | \S{config-charclasses} Configuring word-by-word selection |
1373 | |
70133c0e |
1374 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{selection.charclasses} |
1375 | |
add788fc |
1376 | PuTTY will select a word at a time in the terminal window if you |
1377 | double-click to begin the drag. This panel allows you to control |
1378 | precisely what is considered to be a word. |
1379 | |
1380 | Each character is given a \e{class}, which is a small number |
1381 | (typically 0, 1 or 2). PuTTY considers a single word to be any |
1382 | number of adjacent characters in the same class. So by modifying the |
1383 | assignment of characters to classes, you can modify the word-by-word |
1384 | selection behaviour. |
1385 | |
1386 | In the default configuration, the character classes are: |
1387 | |
1388 | \b Class 0 contains white space and control characters. |
1389 | |
1390 | \b Class 1 contains most punctuation. |
1391 | |
1392 | \b Class 2 contains letters, numbers and a few pieces of punctuation |
1393 | (the double quote, minus sign, period, forward slash and |
1394 | underscore). |
1395 | |
1396 | So, for example, if you assign the \c{@} symbol into character class |
1397 | 2, you will be able to select an e-mail address with just a double |
1398 | click. |
1399 | |
1400 | In order to adjust these assignments, you start by selecting a group |
1401 | of characters in the list box. Then enter a class number in the edit |
1402 | box below, and press the \q{Set} button. |
1403 | |
1404 | This mechanism currently only covers ASCII characters, because it |
1405 | isn't feasible to expand the list to cover the whole of Unicode. |
1406 | |
7b74af11 |
1407 | Character class definitions can be modified by control sequences |
64734920 |
1408 | sent by the server. This configuration option controls the |
1409 | \e{default} state, which will be restored when you reset the |
1410 | terminal (see \k{reset-terminal}). However, if you modify this |
1411 | option in mid-session using \q{Change Settings}, it will take effect |
1412 | immediately. |
7b74af11 |
1413 | |
55ba634a |
1414 | \H{config-colours} The Colours panel |
1415 | |
1630bb61 |
1416 | The Colours panel allows you to control PuTTY's use of colour. |
1417 | |
c6f1b8ed |
1418 | \S{config-ansicolour} \q{Allow terminal to specify ANSI colours} |
1419 | |
1420 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{colours.ansi} |
1421 | |
1422 | This option is enabled by default. If it is disabled, PuTTY will |
1423 | ignore any control sequences sent by the server to request coloured |
1424 | text. |
1425 | |
1426 | If you have a particularly garish application, you might want to |
1427 | turn this option off and make PuTTY only use the default foreground |
1428 | and background colours. |
1429 | |
cecb13f6 |
1430 | \S{config-xtermcolour} \q{Allow terminal to use xterm 256-colour mode} |
1431 | |
1432 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{colours.xterm256} |
1433 | |
1434 | This option is enabled by default. If it is disabled, PuTTY will |
1435 | ignore any control sequences sent by the server which use the |
1436 | extended 256-colour mode supported by recent versions of \cw{xterm}. |
1437 | |
fa29f284 |
1438 | If you have an application which is supposed to use 256-colour mode |
1439 | and it isn't working, you may find you need to tell your server that |
1440 | your terminal supports 256 colours. On Unix, you do this by ensuring |
1441 | that the setting of \cw{TERM} describes a 256-colour-capable |
1442 | terminal. You can check this using a command such as \c{infocmp}: |
1443 | |
1444 | \c $ infocmp | grep colors |
1445 | \c colors#256, cols#80, it#8, lines#24, pairs#256, |
1446 | \e bbbbbbbbbb |
1447 | |
1448 | If you do not see \cq{colors#256} in the output, you may need to |
1449 | change your terminal setting. On modern Linux machines, you could |
1450 | try \cq{xterm-256color}. |
1451 | |
55ba634a |
1452 | \S{config-boldcolour} \q{Bolded text is a different colour} |
1453 | |
70133c0e |
1454 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{colours.bold} |
1455 | |
add788fc |
1456 | When the server sends a control sequence indicating that some text |
1457 | should be displayed in bold, PuTTY can handle this two ways. It can |
1458 | either change the font for a bold version, or use the same font in a |
1459 | brighter colour. This control lets you choose which. |
1460 | |
1461 | By default the box is checked, so non-bold text is displayed in |
1462 | light grey and bold text is displayed in bright white (and similarly |
1463 | in other colours). If you uncheck the box, bold and non-bold text |
1464 | will be displayed in the same colour, and instead the font will |
1465 | change to indicate the difference. |
1466 | |
55ba634a |
1467 | \S{config-logpalette} \q{Attempt to use logical palettes} |
1468 | |
70133c0e |
1469 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{colours.logpal} |
1470 | |
add788fc |
1471 | Logical palettes are a mechanism by which a Windows application |
1472 | running on an 8-bit colour display can select precisely the colours |
1473 | it wants instead of going with the Windows standard defaults. |
1474 | |
1475 | If you are not getting the colours you ask for on an 8-bit display, |
1476 | you can try enabling this option. However, be warned that it's never |
1477 | worked very well. |
1478 | |
26d1da7b |
1479 | \S{config-syscolour} \q{Use system colours} |
1480 | |
1481 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{colours.system} |
1482 | |
1483 | Enabling this option will cause PuTTY to ignore the configured colours |
1484 | for \q{Default Background/Foreground} and \q{Cursor Colour/Text} (see |
1485 | \k{config-colourcfg}), instead going with the system-wide defaults. |
1486 | |
1487 | Note that non-bold and bold text will be the same colour if this |
1488 | option is enabled. You might want to change to indicating bold text |
1489 | by font changes (see \k{config-boldcolour}). |
1490 | |
55ba634a |
1491 | \S{config-colourcfg} Adjusting the colours in the terminal window |
1492 | |
70133c0e |
1493 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{colours.config} |
1494 | |
add788fc |
1495 | The main colour control allows you to specify exactly what colours |
1496 | things should be displayed in. To modify one of the PuTTY colours, |
1497 | use the list box to select which colour you want to modify. The RGB |
1498 | values for that colour will appear on the right-hand side of the |
1499 | list box. Now, if you press the \q{Modify} button, you will be |
1500 | presented with a colour selector, in which you can choose a new |
1501 | colour to go in place of the old one. |
1502 | |
1503 | PuTTY allows you to set the cursor colour, the default foreground |
1504 | and background, and the precise shades of all the ANSI configurable |
1505 | colours (black, red, green, yellow, blue, magenta, cyan, and white). |
37ca32ed |
1506 | You can also modify the precise shades used for the bold versions of |
1507 | these colours; these are used to display bold text if you have |
1508 | selected \q{Bolded text is a different colour}, and can also be used |
5dce67f7 |
1509 | if the server asks specifically to use them. (Note that \q{Default |
1510 | Bold Background} is \e{not} the background colour used for bold text; |
1511 | it is only used if the server specifically asks for a bold |
1512 | background.) |
add788fc |
1513 | |
55ba634a |
1514 | \H{config-connection} The Connection panel |
1515 | |
1630bb61 |
1516 | The Connection panel allows you to configure options that apply to |
1517 | more than one type of connection. |
1518 | |
55ba634a |
1519 | \S{config-keepalive} Using keepalives to prevent disconnection |
1520 | |
70133c0e |
1521 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{connection.keepalive} |
1522 | |
9d219e03 |
1523 | If you find your sessions are closing unexpectedly (most often with |
1524 | \q{Connection reset by peer}) after they have been idle for a while, |
1525 | you might want to try using this option. |
c33f3243 |
1526 | |
add788fc |
1527 | Some network routers and firewalls need to keep track of all |
c33f3243 |
1528 | connections through them. Usually, these firewalls will assume a |
1529 | connection is dead if no data is transferred in either direction |
1530 | after a certain time interval. This can cause PuTTY sessions to be |
1531 | unexpectedly closed by the firewall if no traffic is seen in the |
1532 | session for some time. |
1533 | |
1534 | The keepalive option (\q{Seconds between keepalives}) allows you to |
1535 | configure PuTTY to send data through the session at regular |
1536 | intervals, in a way that does not disrupt the actual terminal |
1537 | session. If you find your firewall is cutting idle connections off, |
1538 | you can try entering a non-zero value in this field. The value is |
1539 | measured in seconds; so, for example, if your firewall cuts |
1540 | connections off after ten minutes then you might want to enter 300 |
1541 | seconds (5 minutes) in the box. |
1542 | |
1543 | Note that keepalives are not always helpful. They help if you have a |
1544 | firewall which drops your connection after an idle period; but if |
1545 | the network between you and the server suffers from breaks in |
1546 | connectivity then keepalives can actually make things worse. If a |
1547 | session is idle, and connectivity is temporarily lost between the |
1548 | endpoints, but the connectivity is restored before either side tries |
1549 | to send anything, then there will be no problem - neither endpoint |
1550 | will notice that anything was wrong. However, if one side does send |
1551 | something during the break, it will repeatedly try to re-send, and |
1552 | eventually give up and abandon the connection. Then when |
1553 | connectivity is restored, the other side will find that the first |
1554 | side doesn't believe there is an open connection any more. |
1555 | Keepalives can make this sort of problem worse, because they |
1556 | increase the probability that PuTTY will attempt to send data during |
1557 | a break in connectivity. Therefore, you might find they help |
1558 | connection loss, or you might find they make it worse, depending on |
1559 | what \e{kind} of network problems you have between you and the |
1560 | server. |
1561 | |
1562 | Keepalives are only supported in Telnet and SSH; the Rlogin and Raw |
79bf227b |
1563 | protocols offer no way of implementing them. (For an alternative, see |
1564 | \k{config-tcp-keepalives}.) |
c33f3243 |
1565 | |
2c9c6388 |
1566 | Note that if you are using SSH1 and the server has a bug that makes |
1567 | it unable to deal with SSH1 ignore messages (see |
1568 | \k{config-ssh-bug-ignore1}), enabling keepalives will have no effect. |
1569 | |
81e8bb1b |
1570 | \S{config-nodelay} \q{Disable Nagle's algorithm} |
1571 | |
70133c0e |
1572 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{connection.nodelay} |
1573 | |
81e8bb1b |
1574 | Nagle's algorithm is a detail of TCP/IP implementations that tries |
1575 | to minimise the number of small data packets sent down a network |
1576 | connection. With Nagle's algorithm enabled, PuTTY's bandwidth usage |
1577 | will be slightly more efficient; with it disabled, you may find you |
1578 | get a faster response to your keystrokes when connecting to some |
1579 | types of server. |
1580 | |
1581 | The Nagle algorithm is disabled by default. |
1582 | |
79bf227b |
1583 | \S{config-tcp-keepalives} \q{Enable TCP keepalives} |
1584 | |
1585 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{connection.tcpkeepalive} |
1586 | |
1587 | \e{NOTE:} TCP keepalives should not be confused with the |
1588 | application-level keepalives described in \k{config-keepalive}. If in |
1589 | doubt, you probably want application-level keepalives; TCP keepalives |
1590 | are provided for completeness. |
1591 | |
1592 | The idea of TCP keepalives is similar to application-level keepalives, |
1593 | and the same caveats apply. The main differences are: |
1594 | |
1595 | \b TCP keepalives are available on \e{all} connection types, including |
1596 | Raw and Rlogin. |
1597 | |
1598 | \b The interval between TCP keepalives is usually much longer, |
1599 | typically two hours; this is set by the operating system, and cannot |
1600 | be configured within PuTTY. |
1601 | |
1602 | \b If the operating system does not receive a response to a keepalive, |
1603 | it may send out more in quick succession and if terminate the connection |
1604 | if no response is received. |
1605 | |
12b34a89 |
1606 | TCP keepalives may be more useful for ensuring that half-open connections |
79bf227b |
1607 | are terminated than for keeping a connection alive. |
1608 | |
1609 | TCP keepalives are disabled by default. |
1610 | |
05581745 |
1611 | \S{config-address-family} \q{Internet protocol} |
1612 | |
1613 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{connection.ipversion} |
1614 | |
1615 | This option allows the user to select between the old and new |
1616 | Internet protocols and addressing schemes (IPv4 and IPv6). The |
1617 | default setting is \q{Auto}, which means PuTTY will do something |
1618 | sensible and try to guess which protocol you wanted. (If you specify |
1619 | a literal Internet address, it will use whichever protocol that |
1620 | address implies. If you provide a hostname, it will see what kinds |
1621 | of address exist for that hostname; it will use IPv6 if there is an |
1622 | IPv6 address available, and fall back to IPv4 if not.) |
1623 | |
1624 | If you need to force PuTTY to use a particular protocol, you can |
1625 | explicitly set this to \q{IPv4} or \q{IPv6}. |
1626 | |
1627 | \H{config-data} The Data panel |
1628 | |
1629 | The Data panel allows you to configure various pieces of data which |
1630 | can be sent to the server to affect your connection at the far end. |
1631 | |
1632 | Each options on this panel applies to more than one protocol. |
1633 | Options which apply to only one protocol appear on that protocol's |
1634 | configuration panels. |
1635 | |
1636 | \S{config-username} \q{Auto-login username} |
1637 | |
1638 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{connection.username} |
1639 | |
1640 | All three of the SSH, Telnet and Rlogin protocols allow you to |
1641 | specify what user name you want to log in as, without having to type |
1642 | it explicitly every time. (Some Telnet servers don't support this.) |
1643 | |
1644 | In this box you can type that user name. |
1645 | |
1646 | \S{config-termtype} \q{Terminal-type string} |
1647 | |
1648 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{connection.termtype} |
1649 | |
1650 | Most servers you might connect to with PuTTY are designed to be |
1651 | connected to from lots of different types of terminal. In order to |
1652 | send the right control sequences to each one, the server will need |
1653 | to know what type of terminal it is dealing with. Therefore, each of |
1654 | the SSH, Telnet and Rlogin protocols allow a text string to be sent |
1655 | down the connection describing the terminal. |
1656 | |
1657 | PuTTY attempts to emulate the Unix \c{xterm} program, and by default |
1658 | it reflects this by sending \c{xterm} as a terminal-type string. If |
1659 | you find this is not doing what you want - perhaps the remote |
1660 | system reports \q{Unknown terminal type} - you could try setting |
1661 | this to something different, such as \c{vt220}. |
1662 | |
1663 | If you're not sure whether a problem is due to the terminal type |
1664 | setting or not, you probably need to consult the manual for your |
1665 | application or your server. |
1666 | |
1667 | \S{config-termspeed} \q{Terminal speeds} |
1668 | |
1669 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{connection.termspeed} |
1670 | |
1671 | The Telnet, Rlogin, and SSH protocols allow the client to specify |
1672 | terminal speeds to the server. |
1673 | |
1674 | This parameter does \e{not} affect the actual speed of the connection, |
1675 | which is always \q{as fast as possible}; it is just a hint that is |
1676 | sometimes used by server software to modify its behaviour. For |
1677 | instance, if a slow speed is indicated, the server may switch to a |
1678 | less bandwidth-hungry display mode. |
1679 | |
1680 | The value is usually meaningless in a network environment, but |
1681 | PuTTY lets you configure it, in case you find the server is reacting |
1682 | badly to the default value. |
1683 | |
1684 | The format is a pair of numbers separated by a comma, for instance, |
1685 | \c{38400,38400}. The first number represents the output speed |
1686 | (\e{from} the server) in bits per second, and the second is the input |
1687 | speed (\e{to} the server). (Only the first is used in the Rlogin |
1688 | protocol.) |
1689 | |
1690 | This option has no effect on Raw connections. |
1691 | |
1692 | \S{config-environ} Setting environment variables on the server |
1693 | |
1694 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{telnet.environ} |
1695 | |
1696 | The Telnet protocol provides a means for the client to pass |
1697 | environment variables to the server. Many Telnet servers have |
1698 | stopped supporting this feature due to security flaws, but PuTTY |
1699 | still supports it for the benefit of any servers which have found |
1700 | other ways around the security problems than just disabling the |
1701 | whole mechanism. |
1702 | |
1703 | Version 2 of the SSH protocol also provides a similar mechanism, |
1704 | which is easier to implement without security flaws. Newer SSH2 |
1705 | servers are more likely to support it than older ones. |
1706 | |
1707 | This configuration data is not used in the SSHv1, rlogin or raw |
1708 | protocols. |
1709 | |
1710 | To add an environment variable to the list transmitted down the |
1711 | connection, you enter the variable name in the \q{Variable} box, |
1712 | enter its value in the \q{Value} box, and press the \q{Add} button. |
1713 | To remove one from the list, select it in the list box and press |
1714 | \q{Remove}. |
1715 | |
0e8f4cda |
1716 | \H{config-proxy} The Proxy panel |
1717 | |
15933a9b |
1718 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{proxy.main} |
1719 | |
0e8f4cda |
1720 | The Proxy panel allows you to configure PuTTY to use various types |
1721 | of proxy in order to make its network connections. The settings in |
1722 | this panel affect the primary network connection forming your PuTTY |
1723 | session, but also any extra connections made as a result of SSH port |
1724 | forwarding (see \k{using-port-forwarding}). |
1725 | |
1726 | \S{config-proxy-type} Setting the proxy type |
1727 | |
15933a9b |
1728 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{proxy.type} |
1729 | |
0e8f4cda |
1730 | The \q{Proxy type} radio buttons allow you to configure what type of |
1731 | proxy you want PuTTY to use for its network connections. The default |
1732 | setting is \q{None}; in this mode no proxy is used for any |
1733 | connection. |
1734 | |
1735 | \b Selecting \q{HTTP} allows you to proxy your connections through a |
1736 | web server supporting the HTTP \cw{CONNECT} command, as documented |
1737 | in \W{http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2817.txt}{RFC 2817}. |
1738 | |
10068a0b |
1739 | \b Selecting \q{SOCKS 4} or \q{SOCKS 5} allows you to proxy your |
1740 | connections through a SOCKS server. |
0e8f4cda |
1741 | |
1742 | \b Many firewalls implement a less formal type of proxy in which a |
1743 | user can make a Telnet connection directly to the firewall machine |
1744 | and enter a command such as \c{connect myhost.com 22} to connect |
1745 | through to an external host. Selecting \q{Telnet} allows you to tell |
1746 | PuTTY to use this type of proxy. |
1747 | |
0e8f4cda |
1748 | \S{config-proxy-exclude} Excluding parts of the network from proxying |
1749 | |
15933a9b |
1750 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{proxy.exclude} |
1751 | |
0e8f4cda |
1752 | Typically you will only need to use a proxy to connect to non-local |
1753 | parts of your network; for example, your proxy might be required for |
1754 | connections outside your company's internal network. In the |
1755 | \q{Exclude Hosts/IPs} box you can enter ranges of IP addresses, or |
1756 | ranges of DNS names, for which PuTTY will avoid using the proxy and |
1757 | make a direct connection instead. |
1758 | |
1759 | The \q{Exclude Hosts/IPs} box may contain more than one exclusion |
1760 | range, separated by commas. Each range can be an IP address or a DNS |
1761 | name, with a \c{*} character allowing wildcards. For example: |
1762 | |
1763 | \c *.example.com |
1764 | |
1765 | This excludes any host with a name ending in \c{.example.com} from |
1766 | proxying. |
1767 | |
1768 | \c 192.168.88.* |
1769 | |
1770 | This excludes any host with an IP address starting with 192.168.88 |
1771 | from proxying. |
1772 | |
1773 | \c 192.168.88.*,*.example.com |
1774 | |
1775 | This excludes both of the above ranges at once. |
1776 | |
b804e1e5 |
1777 | Connections to the local host (the host name \c{localhost}, and any |
1778 | loopback IP address) are never proxied, even if the proxy exclude |
1779 | list does not explicitly contain them. It is very unlikely that this |
1780 | behaviour would ever cause problems, but if it does you can change |
1781 | it by enabling \q{Consider proxying local host connections}. |
1782 | |
b7a189f3 |
1783 | Note that if you are doing DNS at the proxy (see |
1784 | \k{config-proxy-dns}), you should make sure that your proxy |
1785 | exclusion settings do not depend on knowing the IP address of a |
1786 | host. If the name is passed on to the proxy without PuTTY looking it |
1787 | up, it will never know the IP address and cannot check it against |
1788 | your list. |
1789 | |
1790 | \S{config-proxy-dns} Name resolution when using a proxy |
1791 | |
1792 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{proxy.dns} |
1793 | |
1794 | If you are using a proxy to access a private network, it can make a |
1795 | difference whether DNS name resolution is performed by PuTTY itself |
1796 | (on the client machine) or performed by the proxy. |
1797 | |
1798 | The \q{Do DNS name lookup at proxy end} configuration option allows |
1799 | you to control this. If you set it to \q{No}, PuTTY will always do |
1800 | its own DNS, and will always pass an IP address to the proxy. If you |
1801 | set it to \q{Yes}, PuTTY will always pass host names straight to the |
1802 | proxy without trying to look them up first. |
1803 | |
1804 | If you set this option to \q{Auto} (the default), PuTTY will do |
1805 | something it considers appropriate for each type of proxy. Telnet |
1806 | and HTTP proxies will have host names passed straight to them; SOCKS |
1807 | proxies will not. |
1808 | |
1809 | Note that if you are doing DNS at the proxy, you should make sure |
1810 | that your proxy exclusion settings (see \k{config-proxy-exclude}) do |
1811 | not depend on knowing the IP address of a host. If the name is |
1812 | passed on to the proxy without PuTTY looking it up, it will never |
1813 | know the IP address and cannot check it against your list. |
1814 | |
1815 | The original SOCKS 4 protocol does not support proxy-side DNS. There |
1816 | is a protocol extension (SOCKS 4A) which does support it, but not |
1817 | all SOCKS 4 servers provide this extension. If you enable proxy DNS |
1818 | and your SOCKS 4 server cannot deal with it, this might be why. |
1819 | |
0e8f4cda |
1820 | \S{config-proxy-auth} Username and password |
1821 | |
15933a9b |
1822 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{proxy.auth} |
1823 | |
0e8f4cda |
1824 | If your proxy requires authentication, you can enter a username and |
1825 | a password in the \q{Username} and \q{Password} boxes. |
1826 | |
1074abfd |
1827 | Note that if you save your session, the proxy password will be |
1828 | saved in plain text, so anyone who can access your PuTTY |
1829 | configuration data will be able to discover it. |
1830 | |
0b6baa33 |
1831 | Authentication is not fully supported for all forms of proxy: |
1549e076 |
1832 | |
aab91a3e |
1833 | \b Username and password authentication is supported for HTTP |
1834 | proxies and SOCKS 5 proxies. |
1549e076 |
1835 | |
960e03a5 |
1836 | \lcont{ |
1837 | |
1838 | \b With SOCKS 5, authentication is via \i{CHAP} if the proxy |
1839 | supports it (this is not supported in \i{PuTTYtel}); otherwise the |
1840 | password is sent to the proxy in plain text. |
1841 | |
1842 | \b With HTTP proxying, the only currently supported authentication |
25db03c0 |
1843 | method is \q{basic}, where the password is sent to the proxy in plain |
960e03a5 |
1844 | text. |
1845 | |
1846 | } |
1847 | |
1549e076 |
1848 | \b SOCKS 4 can use the \q{Username} field, but does not support |
1849 | passwords. |
1850 | |
2d129d8e |
1851 | \b You can specify a way to include a username and password in the |
1852 | Telnet proxy command (see \k{config-proxy-command}). |
0e8f4cda |
1853 | |
1854 | \S{config-proxy-command} Specifying the Telnet proxy command |
1855 | |
15933a9b |
1856 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{proxy.command} |
1857 | |
0e8f4cda |
1858 | If you are using the Telnet proxy type, the usual command required |
1859 | by the firewall's Telnet server is \c{connect}, followed by a host |
1860 | name and a port number. If your proxy needs a different command, |
1861 | you can enter an alternative here. |
1862 | |
1863 | In this string, you can use \c{\\n} to represent a new-line, \c{\\r} |
1864 | to represent a carriage return, \c{\\t} to represent a tab |
1865 | character, and \c{\\x} followed by two hex digits to represent any |
1866 | other character. \c{\\\\} is used to encode the \c{\\} character |
1867 | itself. |
1868 | |
1869 | Also, the special strings \c{%host} and \c{%port} will be replaced |
2d129d8e |
1870 | by the host name and port number you want to connect to. The strings |
1871 | \c{%user} and \c{%pass} will be replaced by the proxy username and |
1872 | password you specify. To get a literal \c{%} sign, enter \c{%%}. |
1873 | |
1874 | If the Telnet proxy server prompts for a username and password |
1875 | before commands can be sent, you can use a command such as: |
1876 | |
0b6baa33 |
1877 | \c %user\n%pass\nconnect %host %port\n |
2d129d8e |
1878 | |
1879 | This will send your username and password as the first two lines to |
1880 | the proxy, followed by a command to connect to the desired host and |
1881 | port. Note that if you do not include the \c{%user} or \c{%pass} |
1882 | tokens in the Telnet command, then the \q{Username} and \q{Password} |
1883 | configuration fields will be ignored. |
0e8f4cda |
1884 | |
55ba634a |
1885 | \H{config-telnet} The Telnet panel |
1886 | |
1630bb61 |
1887 | The Telnet panel allows you to configure options that only apply to |
1888 | Telnet sessions. |
1889 | |
55ba634a |
1890 | \S{config-oldenviron} \q{Handling of OLD_ENVIRON ambiguity} |
1891 | |
70133c0e |
1892 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{telnet.oldenviron} |
1893 | |
add788fc |
1894 | The original Telnet mechanism for passing environment variables was |
1895 | badly specified. At the time the standard (RFC 1408) was written, |
1896 | BSD telnet implementations were already supporting the feature, and |
1897 | the intention of the standard was to describe the behaviour the BSD |
1898 | implementations were already using. |
1899 | |
1900 | Sadly there was a typing error in the standard when it was issued, |
1901 | and two vital function codes were specified the wrong way round. BSD |
1902 | implementations did not change, and the standard was not corrected. |
1903 | Therefore, it's possible you might find either BSD or RFC-compliant |
1904 | implementations out there. This switch allows you to choose which |
1905 | one PuTTY claims to be. |
1906 | |
1907 | The problem was solved by issuing a second standard, defining a new |
1908 | Telnet mechanism called \cw{NEW_ENVIRON}, which behaved exactly like |
1909 | the original \cw{OLD_ENVIRON} but was not encumbered by existing |
1910 | implementations. Most Telnet servers now support this, and it's |
1911 | unambiguous. This feature should only be needed if you have trouble |
1912 | passing environment variables to quite an old server. |
1913 | |
1914 | \S{config-ptelnet} Passive and active Telnet negotiation modes |
1915 | |
70133c0e |
1916 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{telnet.passive} |
1917 | |
add788fc |
1918 | In a Telnet connection, there are two types of data passed between |
1919 | the client and the server: actual text, and \e{negotiations} about |
1920 | which Telnet extra features to use. |
1921 | |
1922 | PuTTY can use two different strategies for negotiation: |
1923 | |
1924 | \b In \e{active} mode, PuTTY starts to send negotiations as soon as |
1925 | the connection is opened. |
1926 | |
1927 | \b In \e{passive} mode, PuTTY will wait to negotiate until it sees a |
1928 | negotiation from the server. |
1929 | |
1930 | The obvious disadvantage of passive mode is that if the server is |
1931 | also operating in a passive mode, then negotiation will never begin |
1932 | at all. For this reason PuTTY defaults to active mode. |
1933 | |
1934 | However, sometimes passive mode is required in order to successfully |
1935 | get through certain types of firewall and Telnet proxy server. If |
1936 | you have confusing trouble with a firewall, you could try enabling |
1937 | passive mode to see if it helps. |
1938 | |
76d3d354 |
1939 | \S{config-telnetkey} \q{Keyboard sends Telnet special commands} |
add788fc |
1940 | |
70133c0e |
1941 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{telnet.specialkeys} |
1942 | |
76d3d354 |
1943 | If this box is checked, several key sequences will have their normal |
1944 | actions modified: |
1945 | |
1946 | \b the Backspace key on the keyboard will send the \I{Erase Character, |
1947 | Telnet special command}Telnet special backspace code; |
1948 | |
1949 | \b Control-C will send the Telnet special \I{Interrupt Process, Telnet |
1950 | special command}Interrupt Process code; |
1951 | |
1952 | \b Control-Z will send the Telnet special \I{Suspend Process, Telnet |
1953 | special command}Suspend Process code. |
1954 | |
1955 | You probably shouldn't enable this |
add788fc |
1956 | unless you know what you're doing. |
1957 | |
76d3d354 |
1958 | \S{config-telnetnl} \q{Return key sends Telnet New Line instead of ^M} |
eee63b77 |
1959 | |
1960 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{telnet.newline} |
1961 | |
1962 | Unlike most other remote login protocols, the Telnet protocol has a |
e81b578d |
1963 | special \q{new line} code that is not the same as the usual line |
eee63b77 |
1964 | endings of Control-M or Control-J. By default, PuTTY sends the |
1965 | Telnet New Line code when you press Return, instead of sending |
1966 | Control-M as it does in most other protocols. |
1967 | |
1968 | Most Unix-style Telnet servers don't mind whether they receive |
1969 | Telnet New Line or Control-M; some servers do expect New Line, and |
1970 | some servers prefer to see ^M. If you are seeing surprising |
1971 | behaviour when you press Return in a Telnet session, you might try |
1972 | turning this option off to see if it helps. |
1973 | |
add788fc |
1974 | \H{config-rlogin} The Rlogin panel |
1975 | |
1976 | The Rlogin panel allows you to configure options that only apply to |
1977 | Rlogin sessions. |
1978 | |
add788fc |
1979 | \S{config-rlogin-localuser} \q{Local username} |
1980 | |
70133c0e |
1981 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{rlogin.localuser} |
1982 | |
add788fc |
1983 | Rlogin allows an automated (password-free) form of login by means of |
1984 | a file called \c{.rhosts} on the server. You put a line in your |
1985 | \c{.rhosts} file saying something like \c{jbloggs@pc1.example.com}, |
1986 | and then when you make an Rlogin connection the client transmits the |
1987 | username of the user running the Rlogin client. The server checks |
1988 | the username and hostname against \c{.rhosts}, and if they match it |
1989 | does not ask for a password. |
1990 | |
1991 | This only works because Unix systems contain a safeguard to stop a |
1992 | user from pretending to be another user in an Rlogin connection. |
1993 | Rlogin connections have to come from port numbers below 1024, and |
1994 | Unix systems prohibit this to unprivileged processes; so when the |
1995 | server sees a connection from a low-numbered port, it assumes the |
1996 | client end of the connection is held by a privileged (and therefore |
1997 | trusted) process, so it believes the claim of who the user is. |
1998 | |
1999 | Windows does not have this restriction: \e{any} user can initiate an |
2000 | outgoing connection from a low-numbered port. Hence, the Rlogin |
2001 | \c{.rhosts} mechanism is completely useless for securely |
2002 | distinguishing several different users on a Windows machine. If you |
2003 | have a \c{.rhosts} entry pointing at a Windows PC, you should assume |
2004 | that \e{anyone} using that PC can spoof your username in an Rlogin |
2005 | connection and access your account on the server. |
2006 | |
2007 | The \q{Local username} control allows you to specify what user name |
2008 | PuTTY should claim you have, in case it doesn't match your Windows |
2009 | user name (or in case you didn't bother to set up a Windows user |
2010 | name). |
2011 | |
55ba634a |
2012 | \H{config-ssh} The SSH panel |
2013 | |
1630bb61 |
2014 | The SSH panel allows you to configure options that only apply to |
2015 | SSH sessions. |
2016 | |
55ba634a |
2017 | \S{config-command} Executing a specific command on the server |
2018 | |
70133c0e |
2019 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.command} |
2020 | |
add788fc |
2021 | In SSH, you don't have to run a general shell session on the server. |
2022 | Instead, you can choose to run a single specific command (such as a |
2023 | mail user agent, for example). If you want to do this, enter the |
2024 | command in the \q{Remote command} box. |
2025 | |
2026 | \S{config-ssh-pty} \q{Don't allocate a pseudo-terminal} |
2027 | |
70133c0e |
2028 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.nopty} |
2029 | |
add788fc |
2030 | When connecting to a Unix system, most interactive shell sessions |
2031 | are run in a \e{pseudo-terminal}, which allows the Unix system to |
2032 | pretend it's talking to a real physical terminal device but allows |
2033 | the SSH server to catch all the data coming from that fake device |
2034 | and send it back to the client. |
2035 | |
2036 | Occasionally you might find you have a need to run a session \e{not} |
2037 | in a pseudo-terminal. In PuTTY, this is generally only useful for |
2038 | very specialist purposes; although in Plink (see \k{plink}) it is |
2039 | the usual way of working. |
2040 | |
0ed48730 |
2041 | \S{config-ssh-noshell} \q{Don't start a shell or command at all} |
2042 | |
2043 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.noshell} |
2044 | |
2045 | If you tick this box, PuTTY will not attempt to run a shell or |
2046 | command after connecting to the remote server. You might want to use |
2047 | this option if you are only using the SSH connection for port |
2048 | forwarding, and your user account on the server does not have the |
2049 | ability to run a shell. |
2050 | |
2051 | This feature is only available in SSH protocol version 2 (since the |
2052 | version 1 protocol assumes you will always want to run a shell). |
2053 | |
2054 | This feature can also be enabled using the \c{-N} command-line |
2055 | option; see \k{using-cmdline-noshell}. |
2056 | |
2057 | If you use this feature in Plink, you will not be able to terminate |
2058 | the Plink process by any graceful means; the only way to kill it |
2059 | will be by pressing Control-C or sending a kill signal from another |
2060 | program. |
2061 | |
add788fc |
2062 | \S{config-ssh-comp} \q{Enable compression} |
2063 | |
70133c0e |
2064 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.compress} |
2065 | |
add788fc |
2066 | This enables data compression in the SSH connection: data sent by |
2067 | the server is compressed before sending, and decompressed at the |
2068 | client end. Likewise, data sent by PuTTY to the server is compressed |
2069 | first and the server decompresses it at the other end. This can help |
2070 | make the most of a low-bandwidth connection. |
2071 | |
2072 | \S{config-ssh-prot} \q{Preferred SSH protocol version} |
2073 | |
70133c0e |
2074 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.protocol} |
2075 | |
add788fc |
2076 | This allows you to select whether you would like to use SSH protocol |
2077 | version 1 or version 2. \#{FIXME: say something about this elsewhere?} |
2078 | |
2079 | PuTTY will attempt to use protocol 1 if the server you connect to |
2080 | does not offer protocol 2, and vice versa. |
2081 | |
e117a742 |
2082 | If you select \q{1 only} or \q{2 only} here, PuTTY will only connect |
2083 | if the server you connect to offers the SSH protocol version you |
2084 | have specified. |
05a24552 |
2085 | |
add788fc |
2086 | \S{config-ssh-encryption} Encryption algorithm selection |
2087 | |
70133c0e |
2088 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.ciphers} |
2089 | |
add788fc |
2090 | PuTTY supports a variety of different encryption algorithms, and |
2091 | allows you to choose which one you prefer to use. You can do this by |
a5a6cb30 |
2092 | dragging the algorithms up and down in the list box (or moving them |
2093 | using the Up and Down buttons) to specify a preference order. When |
2094 | you make an SSH connection, PuTTY will search down the list from the |
2095 | top until it finds an algorithm supported by the server, and then |
2096 | use that. |
add788fc |
2097 | |
9ec95c23 |
2098 | PuTTY currently supports the following algorithms: |
2099 | |
2100 | \b AES (Rijndael) - 256, 192, or 128-bit CBC (SSH-2 only) |
2101 | |
2102 | \b Blowfish - 128-bit CBC |
2103 | |
2104 | \b Triple-DES - 168-bit CBC |
2105 | |
2106 | \b Single-DES - 56-bit CBC (see below for SSH-2) |
2107 | |
add788fc |
2108 | If the algorithm PuTTY finds is below the \q{warn below here} line, |
2109 | you will see a warning box when you make the connection: |
2110 | |
2111 | \c The first cipher supported by the server |
2112 | \c is single-DES, which is below the configured |
2113 | \c warning threshold. |
2114 | \c Do you want to continue with this connection? |
2115 | |
2116 | This warns you that the first available encryption is not a very |
2117 | secure one. Typically you would put the \q{warn below here} line |
2118 | between the encryptions you consider secure and the ones you |
a5a6cb30 |
2119 | consider substandard. By default, PuTTY supplies a preference order |
2120 | intended to reflect a reasonable preference in terms of security and |
2121 | speed. |
add788fc |
2122 | |
2d24892b |
2123 | In SSH-2, the encryption algorithm is negotiated independently for |
2124 | each direction of the connection, although PuTTY does not support |
2125 | separate configuration of the preference orders. As a result you may |
2126 | get two warnings similar to the one above, possibly with different |
2127 | encryptions. |
2128 | |
8f161275 |
2129 | Single-DES is not recommended in the SSH 2 draft protocol |
2130 | standards, but one or two server implementations do support it. |
2131 | PuTTY can use single-DES to interoperate with |
2132 | these servers if you enable the \q{Enable legacy use of single-DES in |
81e8bb1b |
2133 | SSH 2} option; by default this is disabled and PuTTY will stick to |
183f0303 |
2134 | recommended ciphers. |
81e8bb1b |
2135 | |
83e7d008 |
2136 | \H{config-ssh-kex} The Kex panel |
2137 | |
2138 | \# FIXME: This whole section is draft. Feel free to revise. |
2139 | |
2140 | The Kex panel (short for \q{key exchange}) allows you to configure |
2141 | options related to SSH-2 key exchange. |
2142 | |
2143 | Key exchange occurs at the start of an SSH connection (and |
2144 | occasionally thereafter); it establishes a shared secret that is used |
2145 | as the basis for all of SSH's security features. It is therefore very |
2146 | important for the security of the connection that the key exchange is |
2147 | secure. |
2148 | |
2149 | Key exchange is a cryptographically intensive process; if either the |
2150 | client or the server is a relatively slow machine, the slower methods |
2151 | may take several tens of seconds to complete. |
2152 | |
2153 | If connection startup is too slow, or the connection hangs |
2154 | periodically, you may want to try changing these settings. |
2155 | |
2156 | If you don't understand what any of this means, it's safe to leave |
2157 | these settings alone. |
2158 | |
2159 | This entire panel is only relevant to SSH protocol version 2; none of |
2160 | these settings affect SSH-1 at all. |
2161 | |
2162 | \S{config-ssh-kex-order} Key exchange algorithm selection |
2163 | |
2164 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.kex.order} |
2165 | |
2166 | PuTTY supports a variety of SSH-2 key exchange methods, and allows you |
2167 | to choose which one you prefer to use; configuration is similar to |
2168 | cipher selection (see \k{config-ssh-encryption}). |
2169 | |
2170 | PuTTY currently supports the following varieties of Diffie-Hellman key |
2171 | exchange: |
2172 | |
2173 | \b \q{Group 14}: a well-known 2048-bit group. |
2174 | |
2175 | \b \q{Group 1}: a well-known 1024-bit group. This is less secure |
2176 | \#{FIXME better words} than group 14, but may be faster with slow |
2177 | client or server machines, and may be the only method supported by |
2178 | older server software. |
2179 | |
2180 | \b \q{Group exchange}: with this method, instead of using a fixed |
2181 | group, PuTTY requests that the server suggest a group to use for key |
2182 | exchange; the server can avoid groups known to be weak, and possibly |
2183 | invent new ones over time, without any changes required to PuTTY's |
2184 | configuration. We recommend use of this method, if possible. |
2185 | |
2186 | If the first algorithm PuTTY finds is below the \q{warn below here} |
2187 | line, you will see a warning box when you make the connection, similar |
2188 | to that for cipher selection (see \k{config-ssh-encryption}). |
2189 | |
d57f70af |
2190 | \S{config-ssh-kex-rekey} Repeat key exchange |
83e7d008 |
2191 | |
d57f70af |
2192 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.kex.repeat} |
2193 | |
2194 | If the session key negotiated at connection startup is used too much |
2195 | or for too long, it may become feasible to mount attacks against the |
2196 | SSH connection. Therefore, the SSH-2 protocol specifies that a new key |
2197 | exchange should take place every so often; this can be initiated by |
2198 | either the client or the server. |
2199 | |
2200 | While this renegotiation is taking place, no data can pass through |
83e7d008 |
2201 | the SSH connection, so it may appear to \q{freeze}. (The occurrence of |
2202 | repeat key exchange is noted in the Event Log; see |
2203 | \k{using-eventlog}.) Usually the same algorithm is used as at the |
2204 | start of the connection, with a similar overhead. |
2205 | |
d57f70af |
2206 | These options control how often PuTTY will initiate a repeat key |
2207 | exchange (\q{rekey}). You can also force a key exchange at any time |
2208 | from the Special Commands menu (see \k{using-specials}). |
2209 | |
2210 | \# FIXME: do we have any additions to the SSH-2 drafts' advice on |
2211 | these values? Do we want to enforce any limits? |
2212 | |
2213 | \b \q{Max minutes before rekey} specifies the amount of time that is |
2214 | allowed to elapse before a rekey is initiated. If this is set to zero, |
2215 | PuTTY will not rekey due to elapsed time. The SSH-2 protocol |
2216 | specification recommends a timeout of at most 60 minutes. |
2217 | |
a4358604 |
2218 | You might have a need to disable time-based rekeys completely for the same |
2219 | reasons that keepalives aren't always helpful. If you anticipate |
2220 | suffering a network dropout of several hours in the middle of an SSH |
2221 | connection, but were not actually planning to send \e{data} down |
2222 | that connection during those hours, then an attempted rekey in the |
2223 | middle of the dropout will probably cause the connection to be |
2224 | abandoned, whereas if rekeys are disabled then the connection should |
2225 | in principle survive (in the absence of interfering firewalls). See |
2226 | \k{config-keepalive} for more discussion of these issues; for these |
2227 | purposes, rekeys have much the same properties as keepalives. |
2228 | (Except that rekeys have cryptographic value in themselves, so you |
2229 | should bear that in mind when deciding whether to turn them off.) |
2230 | Note, however, the the SSH \e{server} can still initiate rekeys. |
2231 | |
d57f70af |
2232 | \b \q{Max data before rekey} specifies the amount of data (in bytes) |
2233 | that is permitted to flow in either direction before a rekey is |
2234 | initiated. If this is set to zero, PuTTY will not rekey due to |
2235 | transferred data. The SSH-2 protocol specification recommends a limit |
2236 | of at most 1 gigabyte. |
2237 | |
2238 | \lcont{ |
2239 | |
2240 | As well as specifying a value in bytes, the following shorthand can be |
2241 | used: |
2242 | |
2243 | \b \cq{1k} specifies 1 kilobyte (1024 bytes). |
2244 | |
2245 | \b \cq{1M} specifies 1 megabyte (1024 kilobytes). |
2246 | |
2247 | \b \cq{1G} specifies 1 gigabyte (1024 megabytes). |
2248 | |
2249 | } |
2250 | |
a4358604 |
2251 | Disabling data-based rekeys entirely is a bad idea. The integrity, |
2252 | and to a lesser extent, confidentiality of the SSH-2 protocol depend |
2253 | in part on rekeys occuring before a 32-bit packet sequence number |
2254 | wraps around. Unlike time-based rekeys, data-based rekeys won't occur |
2255 | when the SSH connection is idle, so they shouldn't cause the same |
2256 | problems. The SSH-1 protocol, incidentally, has even weaker integrity |
2257 | protection than SSH-2 without rekeys. |
83e7d008 |
2258 | |
add788fc |
2259 | \H{config-ssh-auth} The Auth panel |
2260 | |
2261 | The Auth panel allows you to configure authentication options for |
2262 | SSH sessions. |
2263 | |
2264 | \S{config-ssh-tis} \q{Attempt TIS or CryptoCard authentication} |
2265 | |
70133c0e |
2266 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.auth.tis} |
2267 | |
add788fc |
2268 | TIS and CryptoCard authentication are simple challenge/response |
2269 | forms of authentication available in SSH protocol version 1 only. |
2270 | You might use them if you were using S/Key one-time passwords, for |
2271 | example, or if you had a physical security token that generated |
2272 | responses to authentication challenges. |
2273 | |
2274 | With this switch enabled, PuTTY will attempt these forms of |
2275 | authentication if the server is willing to try them. You will be |
2276 | presented with a challenge string (which will be different every |
2277 | time) and must supply the correct response in order to log in. If |
2278 | your server supports this, you should talk to your system |
2279 | administrator about precisely what form these challenges and |
2280 | responses take. |
2281 | |
babac7bd |
2282 | \S{config-ssh-ki} \q{Attempt keyboard-interactive authentication} |
81e8bb1b |
2283 | |
70133c0e |
2284 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.auth.ki} |
2285 | |
81e8bb1b |
2286 | The SSH 2 equivalent of TIS authentication is called |
2287 | \q{keyboard-interactive}. It is a flexible authentication method |
2288 | using an arbitrary sequence of requests and responses; so it is not |
2289 | only useful for challenge/response mechanisms such as S/Key, but it |
2290 | can also be used for (for example) asking the user for a new |
2291 | password when the old one has expired. |
2292 | |
2293 | PuTTY leaves this option enabled by default, but supplies a switch |
2294 | to turn it off in case you should have trouble with it. |
2295 | |
add788fc |
2296 | \S{config-ssh-agentfwd} \q{Allow agent forwarding} |
2297 | |
70133c0e |
2298 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.auth.agentfwd} |
2299 | |
add788fc |
2300 | This option allows the SSH server to open forwarded connections back |
2301 | to your local copy of Pageant. If you are not running Pageant, this |
2302 | option will do nothing. |
2303 | |
2304 | See \k{pageant} for general information on Pageant, and |
2305 | \k{pageant-forward} for information on agent forwarding. Note that |
2306 | there is a security risk involved with enabling this option; see |
2307 | \k{pageant-security} for details. |
2308 | |
babac7bd |
2309 | \S{config-ssh-changeuser} \q{Allow attempted changes of username in SSH2} |
5bb641e1 |
2310 | |
2311 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.auth.changeuser} |
2312 | |
2313 | In the SSH 1 protocol, it is impossible to change username after |
2314 | failing to authenticate. So if you mis-type your username at the |
2315 | PuTTY \q{login as:} prompt, you will not be able to change it except |
2316 | by restarting PuTTY. |
2317 | |
2318 | The SSH 2 protocol \e{does} allow changes of username, in principle, |
2319 | but does not make it mandatory for SSH 2 servers to accept them. In |
2320 | particular, OpenSSH does not accept a change of username; once you |
2321 | have sent one username, it will reject attempts to try to |
2322 | authenticate as another user. (Depending on the version of OpenSSH, |
2323 | it may quietly return failure for all login attempts, or it may send |
2324 | an error message.) |
2325 | |
2326 | For this reason, PuTTY will by default not prompt you for your |
2327 | username more than once, in case the server complains. If you know |
2328 | your server can cope with it, you can enable the \q{Allow attempted |
2329 | changes of username} option to modify PuTTY's behaviour. |
2330 | |
add788fc |
2331 | \S{config-ssh-privkey} \q{Private key file for authentication} |
2332 | |
70133c0e |
2333 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.auth.privkey} |
2334 | |
add788fc |
2335 | This box is where you enter the name of your private key file if you |
2336 | are using public key authentication. See \k{pubkey} for information |
2337 | about public key authentication in SSH. |
2338 | |
8cee3b72 |
2339 | This key must be in PuTTY's native format (\c{*.PPK}). |
2340 | |
05581745 |
2341 | \H{config-ssh-x11} The X11 panel |
add788fc |
2342 | |
70133c0e |
2343 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.tunnels.x11} |
2344 | |
05581745 |
2345 | The X11 panel allows you to configure forwarding of X11 over an |
2346 | SSH connection. |
2347 | |
add788fc |
2348 | If your server lets you run X Window System applications, X11 |
2349 | forwarding allows you to securely give those applications access to |
2350 | a local X display on your PC. |
2351 | |
add788fc |
2352 | To enable X11 forwarding, check the \q{Enable X11 forwarding} box. |
46ed7b64 |
2353 | If your X display is somewhere unusual, you will need to enter its |
2354 | location in the \q{X display location} box; if this is left blank, |
2355 | PuTTY try to find a sensible default in the environment, or use the |
2356 | primary local display (\c{:0}) if that fails. |
add788fc |
2357 | |
2f8d6d43 |
2358 | See \k{using-x-forwarding} for more information about X11 |
2359 | forwarding. |
add788fc |
2360 | |
05581745 |
2361 | \S{config-ssh-x11auth} Remote X11 authentication |
b3ebaa28 |
2362 | |
2363 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.tunnels.x11auth} |
2364 | |
2365 | If you are using X11 forwarding, the virtual X server created on the |
2366 | SSH server machine will be protected by authorisation data. This |
2367 | data is invented, and checked, by PuTTY. |
2368 | |
2369 | The usual authorisation method used for this is called |
2370 | \cw{MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1}. This is a simple password-style protocol: |
2371 | the X client sends some cookie data to the server, and the server |
2372 | checks that it matches the real cookie. The cookie data is sent over |
2373 | an unencrypted X11 connection; so if you allow a client on a third |
2374 | machine to access the virtual X server, then the cookie will be sent |
2375 | in the clear. |
2376 | |
2377 | PuTTY offers the alternative protocol \cw{XDM-AUTHORIZATION-1}. This |
2378 | is a cryptographically authenticated protocol: the data sent by the |
2379 | X client is different every time, and it depends on the IP address |
2380 | and port of the client's end of the connection and is also stamped |
2381 | with the current time. So an eavesdropper who captures an |
2382 | \cw{XDM-AUTHORIZATION-1} string cannot immediately re-use it for |
2383 | their own X connection. |
2384 | |
2385 | PuTTY's support for \cw{XDM-AUTHORIZATION-1} is a somewhat |
2386 | experimental feature, and may encounter several problems: |
2387 | |
2388 | \b Some X clients probably do not even support |
2389 | \cw{XDM-AUTHORIZATION-1}, so they will not know what to do with the |
2390 | data PuTTY has provided. |
2391 | |
2392 | \b This authentication mechanism will only work in SSH v2. In SSH |
2393 | v1, the SSH server does not tell the client the source address of |
2394 | a forwarded connection in a machine-readable format, so it's |
2395 | impossible to verify the \cw{XDM-AUTHORIZATION-1} data. |
2396 | |
2397 | \b You may find this feature causes problems with some SSH servers, |
2398 | which will not clean up \cw{XDM-AUTHORIZATION-1} data after a |
2399 | session, so that if you then connect to the same server using |
2400 | a client which only does \cw{MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1} and are allocated |
2401 | the same remote display number, you might find that out-of-date |
2402 | authentication data is still present on your server and your X |
2403 | connections fail. |
2404 | |
2405 | PuTTY's default is \cw{MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1}. If you change it, you |
2406 | should be sure you know what you're doing. |
2407 | |
05581745 |
2408 | \H{config-ssh-portfwd} The Tunnels panel |
add788fc |
2409 | |
70133c0e |
2410 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.tunnels.portfwd} |
2411 | |
05581745 |
2412 | The Tunnels panel allows you to configure tunnelling of arbitrary |
2413 | connection types through an SSH connection. |
2414 | |
add788fc |
2415 | Port forwarding allows you to tunnel other types of network |
2f8d6d43 |
2416 | connection down an SSH session. See \k{using-port-forwarding} for a |
2417 | general discussion of port forwarding and how it works. |
2418 | |
2419 | The port forwarding section in the Tunnels panel shows a list of all |
2420 | the port forwardings that PuTTY will try to set up when it connects |
2421 | to the server. By default no port forwardings are set up, so this |
2422 | list is empty. |
2423 | |
2424 | To add a port forwarding: |
2425 | |
2426 | \b Set one of the \q{Local} or \q{Remote} radio buttons, depending |
2427 | on whether you want to forward a local port to a remote destination |
2428 | (\q{Local}) or forward a remote port to a local destination |
48b7c4b2 |
2429 | (\q{Remote}). Alternatively, select \q{Dynamic} if you want PuTTY to |
40ea1c08 |
2430 | provide a local SOCKS 4/4A/5 proxy on a local port. |
2f8d6d43 |
2431 | |
2432 | \b Enter a source port number into the \q{Source port} box. For |
2433 | local forwardings, PuTTY will listen on this port of your PC. For |
2434 | remote forwardings, your SSH server will listen on this port of the |
2435 | remote machine. Note that most servers will not allow you to listen |
2436 | on port numbers less than 1024. |
2437 | |
48b7c4b2 |
2438 | \b If you have selected \q{Local} or \q{Remote} (this step is not |
2439 | needed with \q{Dynamic}), enter a hostname and port number separated |
2440 | by a colon, in the \q{Destination} box. Connections received on the |
2441 | source port will be directed to this destination. For example, to |
2442 | connect to a POP-3 server, you might enter |
2443 | \c{popserver.example.com:110}. |
2f8d6d43 |
2444 | |
2445 | \b Click the \q{Add} button. Your forwarding details should appear |
2446 | in the list box. |
2447 | |
2448 | To remove a port forwarding, simply select its details in the list |
2449 | box, and click the \q{Remove} button. |
37c6fce1 |
2450 | |
6ee9b735 |
2451 | In the \q{Source port} box, you can also optionally enter an IP |
dbe6c525 |
2452 | address to listen on, by specifying (for instance) \c{127.0.0.5:79}. |
2453 | See \k{using-port-forwarding} for more information on how this |
2454 | works and its restrictions. |
6ee9b735 |
2455 | |
d56f5878 |
2456 | In place of port numbers, you can enter service names, if they are |
2457 | known to the local system. For instance, in the \q{Destination} box, |
2458 | you could enter \c{popserver.example.com:pop3}. |
2459 | |
fda2feb1 |
2460 | You can modify the currently active set of port forwardings in |
d56f5878 |
2461 | mid-session using \q{Change Settings} (see \k{using-changesettings}). |
2462 | If you delete a local or dynamic port forwarding in mid-session, PuTTY |
2463 | will stop listening for connections on that port, so it can be re-used |
2464 | by another program. If you delete a remote port forwarding, note that: |
fda2feb1 |
2465 | |
2466 | \b The SSHv1 protocol contains no mechanism for asking the server to |
2467 | stop listening on a remote port. |
2468 | |
2469 | \b The SSHv2 protocol does contain such a mechanism, but not all SSH |
2470 | servers support it. (In particular, OpenSSH does not support it in |
2471 | any version earlier than 3.9.) |
2472 | |
2473 | If you ask to delete a remote port forwarding and PuTTY cannot make |
2474 | the server actually stop listening on the port, it will instead just |
2475 | start refusing incoming connections on that port. Therefore, |
2476 | although the port cannot be reused by another program, you can at |
2477 | least be reasonably sure that server-side programs can no longer |
2478 | access the service at your end of the port forwarding. |
2479 | |
d56f5878 |
2480 | If you delete a forwarding, any existing connections established using |
2481 | that forwarding remain open. Similarly, changes to global settings |
2482 | such as \q{Local ports accept connections from other hosts} only take |
2483 | effect on new forwardings. |
2484 | |
beefa433 |
2485 | \S{config-ssh-portfwd-localhost} Controlling the visibility of |
2486 | forwarded ports |
2487 | |
2488 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.tunnels.portfwd.localhost} |
2489 | |
2490 | The source port for a forwarded connection usually does not accept |
2491 | connections from any machine except the SSH client or server machine |
2492 | itself (for local and remote forwardings respectively). There are |
2493 | controls in the Tunnels panel to change this: |
2494 | |
2495 | \b The \q{Local ports accept connections from other hosts} option |
2496 | allows you to set up local-to-remote port forwardings in such a way |
2497 | that machines other than your client PC can connect to the forwarded |
48b7c4b2 |
2498 | port. (This also applies to dynamic SOCKS forwarding.) |
beefa433 |
2499 | |
2500 | \b The \q{Remote ports do the same} option does the same thing for |
2501 | remote-to-local port forwardings (so that machines other than the |
2502 | SSH server machine can connect to the forwarded port.) Note that |
2503 | this feature is only available in the SSH 2 protocol, and not all |
2504 | SSH 2 servers support it (OpenSSH 3.0 does not, for example). |
2505 | |
05581745 |
2506 | \S{config-ssh-portfwd-address-family} Selecting Internet protocol |
2507 | version for forwarded ports |
2508 | |
2509 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.tunnels.portfwd.ipversion} |
2510 | |
2511 | This switch allows you to select a specific Internet protocol (IPv4 |
2512 | or IPv6) for the local end of a forwarded port. By default, it is |
2513 | set on \q{Auto}, which means that: |
2514 | |
2515 | \b for a local-to-remote port forwarding, PuTTY will listen for |
2516 | incoming connections in both IPv4 and (if available) IPv6 |
2517 | |
2518 | \b for a remote-to-local port forwarding, PuTTY will choose a |
2519 | sensible protocol for the outgoing connection. |
2520 | |
ae400b95 |
2521 | Note that some operating systems may listen for incoming connections |
2522 | in IPv4 even if you specifically asked for IPv6, because their IPv4 |
2523 | and IPv6 protocol stacks are linked together. Apparently Linux does |
2524 | this, and Windows does not. So if you're running PuTTY on Windows |
2525 | and you tick \q{IPv6} for a local or dynamic port forwarding, it |
2526 | will \e{only} be usable by connecting to it using IPv6; whereas if |
2527 | you do the same on Linux, you can also use it with IPv4. However, |
2528 | ticking \q{Auto} should always give you a port which you can connect |
2529 | to using either protocol. |
05581745 |
2530 | |
2c9c6388 |
2531 | \H{config-ssh-bugs} The Bugs panel |
2532 | |
2533 | Not all SSH servers work properly. Various existing servers have |
2534 | bugs in them, which can make it impossible for a client to talk to |
2535 | them unless it knows about the bug and works around it. |
2536 | |
2537 | Since most servers announce their software version number at the |
2538 | beginning of the SSH connection, PuTTY will attempt to detect which |
2539 | bugs it can expect to see in the server and automatically enable |
2540 | workarounds. However, sometimes it will make mistakes; if the server |
2541 | has been deliberately configured to conceal its version number, or |
2542 | if the server is a version which PuTTY's bug database does not know |
2543 | about, then PuTTY will not know what bugs to expect. |
2544 | |
2545 | The Bugs panel allows you to manually configure the bugs PuTTY |
2546 | expects to see in the server. Each bug can be configured in three |
2547 | states: |
2548 | |
2549 | \b \q{Off}: PuTTY will assume the server does not have the bug. |
2550 | |
2551 | \b \q{On}: PuTTY will assume the server \e{does} have the bug. |
2552 | |
2553 | \b \q{Auto}: PuTTY will use the server's version number announcement |
2554 | to try to guess whether or not the server has the bug. |
2555 | |
2556 | \S{config-ssh-bug-ignore1} \q{Chokes on SSH1 ignore messages} |
2557 | |
2558 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.bugs.ignore1} |
2559 | |
2560 | An ignore message (SSH_MSG_IGNORE) is a message in the SSH protocol |
2561 | which can be sent from the client to the server, or from the server |
2562 | to the client, at any time. Either side is required to ignore the |
2563 | message whenever it receives it. PuTTY uses ignore messages to hide |
2564 | the password packet in SSH1, so that a listener cannot tell the |
2565 | length of the user's password; it also uses ignore messages for |
2566 | connection keepalives (see \k{config-keepalive}). |
2567 | |
2568 | If this bug is detected, PuTTY will stop using ignore messages. This |
2569 | means that keepalives will stop working, and PuTTY will have to fall |
2570 | back to a secondary defence against SSH1 password-length |
2571 | eavesdropping. See \k{config-ssh-bug-plainpw1}. If this bug is |
2572 | enabled when talking to a correct server, the session will succeed, |
2573 | but keepalives will not work and the session might be more |
2574 | vulnerable to eavesdroppers than it could be. |
2575 | |
2576 | This is an SSH1-specific bug. No known SSH2 server fails to deal |
2577 | with SSH2 ignore messages. |
2578 | |
2579 | \S{config-ssh-bug-plainpw1} \q{Refuses all SSH1 password camouflage} |
2580 | |
2581 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.bugs.plainpw1} |
2582 | |
2583 | When talking to an SSH1 server which cannot deal with ignore |
2584 | messages (see \k{config-ssh-bug-ignore1}), PuTTY will attempt to |
2585 | disguise the length of the user's password by sending additional |
2586 | padding \e{within} the password packet. This is technically a |
2587 | violation of the SSH1 specification, and so PuTTY will only do it |
2588 | when it cannot use standards-compliant ignore messages as |
2589 | camouflage. In this sense, for a server to refuse to accept a padded |
2590 | password packet is not really a bug, but it does make life |
2591 | inconvenient if the server can also not handle ignore messages. |
2592 | |
2593 | If this \q{bug} is detected, PuTTY will have no choice but to send |
2594 | the user's password with no form of camouflage, so that an |
2595 | eavesdropping user will be easily able to find out the exact length |
2596 | of the password. If this bug is enabled when talking to a correct |
2597 | server, the session will succeed, but will be more vulnerable to |
2598 | eavesdroppers than it could be. |
2599 | |
2600 | This is an SSH1-specific bug. SSH2 is secure against this type of |
2601 | attack. |
2602 | |
2603 | \S{config-ssh-bug-rsa1} \q{Chokes on SSH1 RSA authentication} |
2604 | |
2605 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.bugs.rsa1} |
2606 | |
2607 | Some SSH1 servers cannot deal with RSA authentication messages at |
2608 | all. If Pageant is running and contains any SSH1 keys, PuTTY will |
2609 | normally automatically try RSA authentication before falling back to |
2610 | passwords, so these servers will crash when they see the RSA attempt. |
2611 | |
2612 | If this bug is detected, PuTTY will go straight to password |
2613 | authentication. If this bug is enabled when talking to a correct |
2614 | server, the session will succeed, but of course RSA authentication |
2615 | will be impossible. |
2616 | |
2617 | This is an SSH1-specific bug. |
2618 | |
2619 | \S{config-ssh-bug-hmac2} \q{Miscomputes SSH2 HMAC keys} |
2620 | |
2621 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.bugs.hmac2} |
2622 | |
2623 | Versions 2.3.0 and below of the SSH server software from |
2624 | \cw{ssh.com} compute the keys for their HMAC message authentication |
2625 | codes incorrectly. A typical symptom of this problem is that PuTTY |
2626 | dies unexpectedly at the beginning of the session, saying |
2627 | \q{Incorrect MAC received on packet}. |
2628 | |
2629 | If this bug is detected, PuTTY will compute its HMAC keys in the |
2630 | same way as the buggy server, so that communication will still be |
2631 | possible. If this bug is enabled when talking to a correct server, |
2632 | communication will fail. |
2633 | |
2634 | This is an SSH2-specific bug. |
2635 | |
2636 | \S{config-ssh-bug-derivekey2} \q{Miscomputes SSH2 encryption keys} |
2637 | |
2638 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.bugs.derivekey2} |
2639 | |
ff9852ef |
2640 | Versions below 2.0.11 of the SSH server software from \cw{ssh.com} |
2c9c6388 |
2641 | compute the keys for the session encryption incorrectly. This |
2642 | problem can cause various error messages, such as \q{Incoming packet |
2643 | was garbled on decryption}, or possibly even \q{Out of memory}. |
2644 | |
2645 | If this bug is detected, PuTTY will compute its encryption keys in |
2646 | the same way as the buggy server, so that communication will still |
2647 | be possible. If this bug is enabled when talking to a correct |
2648 | server, communication will fail. |
2649 | |
2650 | This is an SSH2-specific bug. |
2651 | |
8e975795 |
2652 | \S{config-ssh-bug-sig} \q{Requires padding on SSH2 RSA signatures} |
2c9c6388 |
2653 | |
2654 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.bugs.rsapad2} |
2655 | |
2656 | Versions below 3.3 of OpenSSH require SSH2 RSA signatures to be |
2657 | padded with zero bytes to the same length as the RSA key modulus. |
2658 | The SSH2 draft specification says that an unpadded signature MUST be |
2659 | accepted, so this is a bug. A typical symptom of this problem is |
2660 | that PuTTY mysteriously fails RSA authentication once in every few |
2661 | hundred attempts, and falls back to passwords. |
2662 | |
2663 | If this bug is detected, PuTTY will pad its signatures in the way |
2664 | OpenSSH expects. If this bug is enabled when talking to a correct |
2665 | server, it is likely that no damage will be done, since correct |
2666 | servers usually still accept padded signatures because they're used |
2667 | to talking to OpenSSH. |
2668 | |
2669 | This is an SSH2-specific bug. |
2670 | |
dda87a28 |
2671 | \S{config-ssh-bug-pksessid2} \q{Misuses the session ID in PK auth} |
2672 | |
739c28d0 |
2673 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.bugs.pksessid2} |
dda87a28 |
2674 | |
2675 | Versions below 2.3 of OpenSSH require SSH2 public-key authentication |
2676 | to be done slightly differently: the data to be signed by the client |
2677 | contains the session ID formatted in a different way. If public-key |
2678 | authentication mysteriously does not work but the Event Log (see |
2679 | \k{using-eventlog}) thinks it has successfully sent a signature, it |
2680 | might be worth enabling the workaround for this bug to see if it |
2681 | helps. |
2682 | |
2683 | If this bug is detected, PuTTY will sign data in the way OpenSSH |
2684 | expects. If this bug is enabled when talking to a correct server, |
2685 | SSH2 public-key authentication will fail. |
2686 | |
2687 | This is an SSH2-specific bug. |
2688 | |
e12d95a5 |
2689 | \S{config-ssh-bug-rekey} \q{Handles key re-exchange badly} |
f382c87d |
2690 | |
2691 | \cfg{winhelp-topic}{ssh.bugs.rekey2} |
2692 | |
e12d95a5 |
2693 | Some SSH servers cannot cope with repeat key exchange at |
f382c87d |
2694 | all, and will ignore attempts by the client to start one. Since |
2695 | PuTTY pauses the session while performing a repeat key exchange, the |
2696 | effect of this would be to cause the session to hang after an hour |
2697 | (unless you have your rekey timeout set differently; see |
2698 | \k{config-ssh-kex-rekey} for more about rekeys). |
e12d95a5 |
2699 | Other, very old, SSH servers handle repeat key exchange even more |
2700 | badly, and disconnect upon receiving a repeat key exchange request. |
f382c87d |
2701 | |
2702 | If this bug is detected, PuTTY will never initiate a repeat key |
2703 | exchange. If this bug is enabled when talking to a correct server, |
2704 | the session should still function, but may be less secure than you |
2705 | would expect. |
2706 | |
2707 | This is an SSH2-specific bug. |
2708 | |
37c6fce1 |
2709 | \H{config-file} Storing configuration in a file |
2710 | |
2711 | PuTTY does not currently support storing its configuration in a file |
2712 | instead of the Registry. However, you can work around this with a |
2713 | couple of batch files. |
2714 | |
2715 | You will need a file called (say) \c{PUTTY.BAT} which imports the |
2716 | contents of a file into the Registry, then runs PuTTY, exports the |
2717 | contents of the Registry back into the file, and deletes the |
2718 | Registry entries. This can all be done using the Regedit command |
2719 | line options, so it's all automatic. Here is what you need in |
2720 | \c{PUTTY.BAT}: |
2721 | |
2722 | \c @ECHO OFF |
2723 | \c regedit /s putty.reg |
2724 | \c regedit /s puttyrnd.reg |
2725 | \c start /w putty.exe |
35cffede |
2726 | \c regedit /ea new.reg HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY |
2727 | \c copy new.reg putty.reg |
2728 | \c del new.reg |
37c6fce1 |
2729 | \c regedit /s puttydel.reg |
2730 | |
2731 | This batch file needs two auxiliary files: \c{PUTTYRND.REG} which |
2732 | sets up an initial safe location for the \c{PUTTY.RND} random seed |
2733 | file, and \c{PUTTYDEL.REG} which destroys everything in the Registry |
2734 | once it's been successfully saved back to the file. |
2735 | |
2736 | Here is \c{PUTTYDEL.REG}: |
2737 | |
2738 | \c REGEDIT4 |
2739 | \c |
2740 | \c [-HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY] |
2741 | |
2742 | Here is an example \c{PUTTYRND.REG} file: |
2743 | |
2744 | \c REGEDIT4 |
2745 | \c |
2746 | \c [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY] |
5f9857d0 |
2747 | \c "RandSeedFile"="a:\\putty.rnd" |
37c6fce1 |
2748 | |
2749 | You should replace \c{a:\\putty.rnd} with the location where you |
2750 | want to store your random number data. If the aim is to carry around |
2751 | PuTTY and its settings on one floppy, you probably want to store it |
2752 | on the floppy. |