Building OpenSSH for Windows (using LibreSSL crypto)

Download Latest Source

• git clone https://github.com/PowerShell/openssh-portable
• git checkout latestw_all

Clone Vcpkg Repository (*required as of September 2025 - see here for more info)

• git clone https://github.com/Microsoft/Vcpkg
• bootstrap Vcpkg with script in repo root: ./bootstrap-vcpkg.bat
• integrate with Visual Studio: ./vcpkg.exe integrate install

Building OpenSSH for Windows Using Visual Studio [Recommended]

• Download and Install Visual Studio - latest install here.

  • If using the Visual Studio installer, select the following:

    • Desktop Development with C++ Workload
    • Windows 11 SDK 10.0.22621.0 Individual Component
    • MSVC 143 Build Tool(s) Individual Component(s) - up to 3 depending on which architecture(s) will be built: x86/x64, ARM, ARM64
    • MSVC 143 Spectre-Mitigated Lib(s) Individual Component(s) - up to 3 depending on which architecture(s) will be built: x86/x64, ARM, ARM64

  • Confirm the selections look something like this:

  • Confirm the Desktop Development with C++ Kit was installed properly by checking ${env:ProgramFiles}\Microsoft Visual Studio\*\*\VC\Auxiliary\Build for a vcvarsall.bat file, as shown in the image below:

• Install Windows SDK 10.0.22621.0 during Visual Studio install, or download from here

  • Confirm the SDK was installed properly by checking ${env:ProgramFiles(x86)}\Windows Kits\10\Bin for a 10.0.22621.0 folder, as shown in the image below:

• Confirm the Build Tools were installed properly by checking ${env:ProgramFiles}\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\*\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v170 for a Microsoft.Cpp.Default.Props file, as shown in the image below:

• Open contrib\win32\openssh\Win32-OpenSSH.sln in Visual Studio, if prompted ensure platform toolset is set to "no upgrade" and Windows SDK is set to "10.0.22621.0"

• If necessary, change the configuration and architecture from the middle toolbar

• Build the Win32-OpenSSH binaries

• Note: after the first build of a configuration & architecture or if a new libcrypto version is being pulled in, the corresponding libcrypto.dll needs to be copied from \contrib\win32\openssh\libressl\bin\desktop\{Architecture}\ to .\bin\{Architecture}\{Configuration}

  • Binaries will be in a \bin\{Architecture}\{Configuration} folder, as shown in the image below for an x64, Debug build:

Building OpenSSH for Windows Using Build Script

In Powershell:

• cd repository-root
• ipmo .\contrib\win32\openssh\OpenSSHBuildHelper.psm1 -Force
• Start-OpenSSHBuild -Configuration <Release|Debug> -NativeHostArch <x64|x86|ARM|ARM64>

Deploying OpenSSH for Windows

• Start-OpenSSHPackage -Configuration <Release|Debug> -NativeHostArch <x64|x86|ARM|ARM64>
• Above generates Zipped binary and symbols payload. Follow further installation instructions here.