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Import from PuTTY

Complete guide to import your PuTTY sessions into Xermius in just a few minutes.

Overview​

PuTTY stores sessions in the Windows Registry. Xermius can import these sessions directly from a registry export file.

What Gets Imported:

  • ✅ Session names → Host names
  • ✅ HostName → IP address/hostname
  • ✅ Port number
  • ✅ Username
  • ❌ SSH keys (will need to re-configure)
  • ❌ Passwords (not stored in registry)
  • ❌ Terminal colors/fonts

Export from PuTTY​

  1. Open Registry Editor:

    • Press Win + R
    • Type regedit
    • Click OK

  2. Navigate to PuTTY Sessions:

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions

  3. Export Sessions:

    • Right-click on Sessions folder
    • Select Export
    • Choose save location
    • Name it putty-sessions.reg
    • Click Save

Method 2: Command Line​

Open Command Prompt and run:

reg export "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions" "%USERPROFILE%\Desktop\putty-sessions.reg"

This saves the file to your Desktop.

Import to Xermius​

Step 1: Open Import Dialog​

  1. Open Xermius
  2. Click NEW HOST dropdown
  3. Select Import Hosts

Step 2: Select PuTTY Format​

  1. Click PuTTY tab
  2. Click Browse File
  3. Select your putty-sessions.reg file
  4. Click Open

Step 3: Preview & Confirm​

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Import Preview                               │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Found 15 PuTTY sessions                      │
│                                              │
│ ✓ production-web                             │
│   192.168.1.100:22 (admin)                   │
│                                              │
│ ✓ dev-database                               │
│   192.168.1.101:3306 (root)                  │
│                                              │
│ ✓ staging-server                             │
│   staging.example.com:22 (ubuntu)            │
│                                              │
│ ... 12 more                                  │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│        [Cancel]            [Import 15]       │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
  1. Review the sessions
  2. Click Import

Step 4: Complete Import​

✓ Successfully imported 15 hosts from PuTTY
  - 15 new hosts added
  - 0 duplicates skipped

Your PuTTY sessions are now in Xermius!

Configuration Mapping​

What Transfers Automatically​

PuTTY SettingXermius FieldNotes
Session NameHost NameDirect copy
HostNameHost AddressIP or hostname
Port NumberPortConverted from hex
UserNameUsernameIf set in PuTTY
Protocol-Only SSH imported

What Needs Manual Setup​

SSH Keys:

  • PuTTY uses PPK format keys
  • Xermius uses standard OpenSSH keys
  • Convert PPK → OpenSSH first (see below)
  • Then add to Xermius keychain

Passwords:

  • Not stored in registry
  • Add manually after import

Colors & Fonts:

  • Set globally in Xermius Settings
  • Or per-host in Edit Host

Converting PuTTY Keys​

If you use PPK key files, convert them to OpenSSH format:

Using PuTTYgen​

  1. Open PuTTYgen
  2. Load PPK Key:
    • Click Load
    • Select your .ppk file
  3. Export OpenSSH:
    • Click Conversions → Export OpenSSH key
    • Save as id_rsa (or your preferred name)
  4. Import to Xermius:
    • Go to SSH Keys tab
    • Click Import Key
    • Select your exported key

Using ssh-keygen​

On Linux/macOS:

ssh-keygen -i -f putty-key.ppk > openssh-key

Post-Import Tasks​

1. Verify Connections​

Test a few imported hosts:

1. Select a host
2. Click Connect
3. Enter password (if not using keys)
4. Verify connection works

2. Organize Hosts​

Add groups:
- Production
- Development
- Staging
- Clients

Add tags:
- web-server
- database
- cache
- api

3. Set Up SSH Keys​

For each host using keys:
1. Import/create SSH key in keychain
2. Edit host
3. Select SSH key from dropdown
4. Save

4. Configure Preferences​

Set your preferred defaults:

  • Terminal font
  • Color scheme
  • Default shell
  • Auto-connect options

Troubleshooting​

No Sessions Found​

Problem: Import shows "No valid hosts found"

Solution:

  • Verify registry export contains sessions
  • Open .reg file in text editor
  • Should see [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions\...]
  • Check Protocol is "ssh"

Session Names With Spaces​

Problem: Session name "Production Server" not found

Solution:

  • PuTTY encodes spaces as %20
  • Xermius automatically decodes these
  • No action needed

Port Shows As Strange Number​

Problem: Port imported as wrong number

Solution:

  • PuTTY stores ports in hexadecimal
  • Xermius converts automatically
  • If incorrect, edit host and fix manually

Missing Username​

Problem: Username not imported

Solution:

  • PuTTY doesn't always store username in registry
  • Add manually after import:
    1. Right-click host → Edit
    2. Enter username
    3. Save

Tips for Smooth Migration​

Before Export​

✅ Review PuTTY sessions - Remove old/unused ones
✅ Note custom settings - Colors, fonts, etc. to replicate
✅ Backup PPK keys - If using key authentication
✅ Document passwords - Securely note passwords for each

During Import​

✅ Import in batches - If you have 100+ sessions
✅ Use preview - Check before confirming import
✅ Note SSH key sessions - List which ones need keys

After Import​

✅ Test connections - Verify a few important hosts
✅ Set up keys - Configure SSH key authentication
✅ Organize - Create groups and tags
✅ Clean up - Remove any incorrectly imported hosts

Example: Full Migration​

Let's migrate 3 PuTTY sessions:

PuTTY Sessions:

- production-web (192.168.1.100:22, user: admin, key: prod.ppk)
- staging-db (192.168.1.101:3306, user: root, password)
- dev-server (dev.example.com:2222, user: developer, password)

Steps:

  1. Export from PuTTY:

    reg export "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions" putty.reg

  2. Convert SSH Key:

    • Open PuTTYgen
    • Load prod.ppk
    • Export as OpenSSH key → prod-key

  3. Import to Xermius:

    • Import Hosts → PuTTY tab
    • Select putty.reg
    • Import 3 hosts

  4. Configure SSH Key:

    • SSH Keys → Import Key
    • Import prod-key
    • Edit production-web host
    • Select imported key

  5. Set Passwords:

    • Edit staging-db → Enter password
    • Edit dev-server → Enter password

  6. Test All:

    • Connect to production-web (should work with key)
    • Connect to staging-db (enter password)
    • Connect to dev-server (enter password)

Done! All 3 sessions migrated and working.

Next Steps​