Cygwin, OpenSSH and multiple-user licensing (CAL)

Cygwin, OpenSSH and multiple-user licensing (CAL)

[Assaf Gordon]

Hello,

When running OpenSSH server under cygwin on a windows machine,
does each SSH connection require a buying CAL (client access license) 
from microsoft?

More concretely,
If I have a "Windows 10 Home" and I run Cygwin + OpenSSH server,
can multiple users connect and run programs at the same time?
(of course they technically can, but is it legally allowed?).

This assumes the users only run Cygwin programs, never any windows 
programs, and not any RDS connections or GUI applications (not even X11).


Sorry if this is slightly off-topic for the technical list,
but I can't find any reliable information regarding this question.

The only somewhat-related post I've managed to found is this one
from 1999 about running Samba on Windows NT, saying:

     If we overcome this, Samba will work on NT. I have done a research
     on the legal/license implications of this, and look very
     interesting:
        * The legal limit of 10 connections to an NT workstation
          dissapear => NT server value for NT workstation price, legal.
        * No need for CAL (client access license) to connect to an NT
          box => legal non Win clients, and the NT Terminal server client
          implications seem interesting too.
     (from http://www.cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/1999-09/msg00046.html )

Is running OpenSSH server considered the same as running samba?

Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks,
  - Assaf Gordon



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Re: Cygwin, OpenSSH and multiple-user licensing (CAL)

[Stephen John Smoogen]

On 25 October 2017 at 20:22, Assaf Gordon <assafgordon@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> When running OpenSSH server under cygwin on a windows machine,
> does each SSH connection require a buying CAL (client access license) from
> microsoft?
>
> More concretely,
> If I have a "Windows 10 Home" and I run Cygwin + OpenSSH server,
> can multiple users connect and run programs at the same time?
> (of course they technically can, but is it legally allowed?).
>

I expect that no one on this list can answer it as it requires a
lawyer who can give you an opinion on the legality for who you are,
where you are and what exactly you can do. You aren't going to find
any opinion on the internet which is 'valid' because there are many
factors which can't be answered without knowing that information and
being a lawyer who is skilled in the various contract, commercial and
similar laws.


-- 
Stephen J Smoogen.

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Re: Cygwin, OpenSSH and multiple-user licensing (CAL)

[Assaf Gordon]

Follow-up:

On 2017-10-25 06:22 PM, Assaf Gordon wrote:
> When running OpenSSH server under cygwin on a windows machine,
> does each SSH connection require a buying CAL (client access license) 
> from microsoft?

Wes Miller, Research VP at Microsoft [1] answered my similar question
on the PowerShell/OpenSSH github project [2].

Basically, an OpenSSH server (PowerShell,Cygwin and any other[3]) fall 
under the same restrictions as other remote access types.

For windows "server" editions: CALs required for all users connecting to 
SSH.

For "desktop/client/home/pro" editions: governed by the same limitation 
as remote connections. Only one user at a time (and likely only the 
"Primary user") can access the machine remotely.

[1] Wes Miller: https://twitter.com/getwired

[2] Github answer:
https://github.com/PowerShell/Win32-OpenSSH/issues/926#issuecomment-339786079

[3] different vendors do not alter the answer (e.g. Microsoft program vs 
cygwin program): https://twitter.com/getwired/status/923643485911224331


regards,
  - Assaf

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