FlexDeploy utilizes OpenSSH within a Unix shell for communicating to all endpoints.  For some older versions of Microsoft Windows, Cygwin may be required to provide the Unix-like environment containing the required SSH libraries. The following instructions can be used to install the Cygwin on a Windows client.

Before installing, it may be best to check if a native Microsoft SSH server can be used instead.

see these Microsoft articles for more information:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/openssh/openssh_install_firstuse?tabs=gui

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/openssh/openssh_server_configuration

Installation Steps

Download Cygwin from the following location: https://www.cygwin.com/. 

Run the installer (setup-x86_64.exe) and follow the prompts. Make sure to run this as Administrator user, because this allows to set up the Cygwin environment so that all users can start a Cygwin shell out of the box.

Open

As explained earlier, select appropriate option for Download Source.

Open

Make sure to select All Users as that will allow you to connect as any user on the system.

This is most important step, as FlexDeploy requires SSH connectivity and that is the reason we are installing Cygwin. Type "openssh" into the search dialog. Drill down to Net > openssh. Click on the Skip and it will change to some version number. This process may be slightly different depending on Cygwin version being installed.

Click Finish.

Next you will need to setup CYGWIN sshd service.

Setup sshd Service

Navigate to the location you installed Cygwin and run Cygwin.bat as administrator.

Once the bash window opens, run:  ssh-host-config

Follow as shown below. These steps may be slightly different based on version of Cygwin.

Verify your Firewall configuration as you may need to open port 22 if you have a firewall enabled.

Start the CYGWIN sshd service from the services console (Computer Management > Services)

Using a SSH client (such as PuTTY) attempt to log in to the host with user that has local access to the machine. If successful then the environment is setup and ready for use.

Troubleshooting Tips

• If you get permissions issue, launch cygwin terminal on target server as user that you will be connecting from FlexDeploy, then adjust .bashrc file in home folder to have following entry.

  • umask 022

• If you installed CYGWIN sshd as cyg_server user, it should be able to allow Endpoint connection as any user on the server, but that may not work always. In this situation you can try these options.
  
  

  1. Make sure that cyg_server account is added to Replace a process level token policy using gpedit.msc. Reference - https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn221975(v=ws.11).aspx, https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc957225.aspx

  2. Another option is to run CYGWIN sshd as user that you want to connect as from FlexDeploy Endpoint. Here are the steps to make that change.

     1. Make sure the account you want to connect as is Administrator account. See my example of flexuser that I used instead of cyg_server
        
        
        

        
        
        
        

     2. Stop CYGWIN sshd service. 

     3. Edit CYGWIN sshd service and make it use user that you want to connect as from FlexDeploy Endpoint. See example below.
        
        
        

        
        
        
        

     4. Click OK.

     5. Run Cygwin terminal as Administrator.

     6. Run ssh-host-config option and follow prompts.
        
        
        

        
        
        
        

     7. Now start CYGWIN sshd service.

If you experience problems starting sshd, check the sshd.log in Cygwin64/var/log. That will indicate the issue that is occurring and should help with resolution.

If you receive an error like the permissions are too big for some folder or file, then you should perform a command in the bash window to reduce the permissions. An example would be chmod 700 /var/empty

If you receive a wrong password error, and are using a username in the format domain\user, try is without the domain.