SSH or Secure Shell is a cryptographic network protocol for operating network services securely over an unsecured network. Typical applications include remote command-line, login, and remote command execution, but any network service can be secured with SSH.
SSH was designed as a replacement for Telnet and for unsecured remote shell protocols such as the Berkeley rsh and the related rlogin and rexec protocols. Those protocols send information, notably passwords, in plaintext, rendering them susceptible to interception and disclosure using packet analysis. The encryption used by SSH is intended to provide confidentiality and integrity of data over an unsecured network, such as the Internet.
This roundup picks our favourite SSH servers for Linux. Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. Only free and open source software is eligible for inclusion here.
Let’s explore the SSH servers at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, an image of the software in action, together with links to relevant resources.
| SSH Servers | |
|---|---|
| OpenSSH | Remote login with the SSH protocol |
| Teleport | Provides connectivity, authentication, access controls and audit for infrastructure |
| ssh3 | Faster and rich secure shell using HTTP/3 |
| TinySSH | Minimalistic SSH server |
| Dropbear | Lightweight SSH server |
| quicssh-rs | Simple ssh server |
| ssh2incus | SSH server for Incus instances |
| wolfSSH | Small, fast, portable SSH implementation |
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