On MS Windows, you can use [[http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html|Putty]] to open SSH connections to remote hosts.  
Moreover, you can enable X11 forwarding on Putty and use a X11 server on your PC to open remote graphical applications. [[http://sourceforge.net/projects/xming/|Xming]] is a suitable X11 server for Windows.  
To do so, you must configure your connection.

==== Step 1: Set the Host ====

Choose SSH as the communication protocol and set the host name of the server you want to reach, in this case the airlock ''gw.cortexlab.fr'', on port 22 or 2269 (as pictured bellow).

{{ :win_ssh_putty1bis.png?nolink |}}


==== Step 2: Set the login username ====

Choose your login username in order not to re enter it every time you log in to CorteXlab. This is your CorteXlab account name (i.e. username).

{{ :win_ssh_putty2.png?nolink |}}


==== Step 3: Set the SSH keys to use ====

Of course, the authentication on CorteXlab is based on RSA keys (no password authentication is allowed).  
You have to give the path to the private key file (and your public key should be alongside it, i.e same directory and same file name prefix).

{{ :win_ssh_putty3.png?nolink |}}

More info on the key generation: [[ssh_key_help]]

==== Step 4: Enable X11 forwarding ====

Enable X11 forwarding and specify the X display location. Usually, the X server is hosted on the same PC (i.e. "localhost") and the first display is used (i.e. display 0).

{{ :win_ssh_putty5.png?nolink |}}

==== Step 5: Start the X server ====

If the X server is not yet running, don't forget to start it. You can use the Xlaunch frontend of Xming to start the X server easily. Choosing multiple windows and display number 0, then proceeding with defaults in the 3 following screens should be enough for our use case.

{{ :win_ssh_xlaunch1.png?nolink |}}

|{{:win_ssh_xlaunch2.png?nolink&210|}}|{{:win_ssh_xlaunch3.png?nolink&210|}}|{{:win_ssh_xlaunch4.png?nolink&210|}}|

==== Step 6: Save your Putty config ====

In order to be able to use it again in the future, don't forget to save the configuration in Putty. Just enter the desired session name (e.g. cortexlab) in the Saved Sessions field and click save.

{{ ::win_ssh_putty4bis.png?nolink |}}

==== Step 7: Log in through SSH ====

Just click the "open" button, no pics included this time ;)