How to Connect to a Linux VM with WinSCP: Step‑by‑Step Guide

1. Install WinSCP

WinSCP is a free file‑transfer client; download and install it on your Windows machine.

2. Create a New Site

Open WinSCP; it opens directly to the login screen where you can add a new site. The following screenshot shows the site‑creation dialog.

3. Install SSH on the Remote Linux VM

If the connection attempt shows a prompt indicating that sshd is not installed, run the following command on the Linux VM to install the SSH server:

sudo apt-get install ssh

4. Connect to the Virtual Machine

After confirming the site settings, click OK to connect. WinSCP then displays a two‑pane interface: the left pane shows files on the Windows host, and the right pane shows files on the Linux VM.

5. Basic Operations

5.1 Copy Files

Simply drag files between the two panes. Dragging from the right pane (Linux) to the left pane (Windows) copies files to Windows, and dragging in the opposite direction copies files to Linux.

5.2 Edit Linux Files

Right‑click a file and choose Edit to open WinSCP’s built‑in editor. The default editor is basic, so you can configure a custom editor by hovering over the Edit option for one second and selecting your preferred program.

These two functions cover the most common tasks; the software is easy to use, and you can explore additional features on your own.