How to preconfigure Azure Windows image with SSH to use with Jenkins Windows Agents on Azure Cloud

Question

I am trying to follow these instructions to us the Jenkins Plugin to create Jenkins agents with Azure Virtual Machines (via Azure ARM template).

• Azure VM Agents plugin

Under Supported Features, it says:

1. Windows Agents on Azure Cloud using SSH and JNLP
   • For Windows images to launch via SSH, the image needs to be preconfigured with SSH.

I am a bit confused by this and I'm not sure what it means.

• Does it mean that an SSH Client or Server should be installed on the Windows image?
• There doesn't seem to be a option for setting up a Windows Azure VM with SSH access, as there is for a linux VM.

Please can anyone clarify what the set up process is?

(By the way, I have tried an unattended installation of cygwin on the Windows VM to try to run a SSH server, but I am running into a separate problem I am trying to solve. I'd like to know if this is not required.)

Answer 1

Answering my own question now I have got a bit deeper in. In the configuration section of the plugin, under Image Configuration, clicking the help on the launch method clarifies what's required.

It looks like a custom image needs to be custom-prepared with a SSH server pre-installed. However, it also looks like it is possible to launch an image with JNLP instead, so I will try that.

Update

I couldn't get JNLP to work (not sure why) but I did get SSH to work. Ticking the 'Pre-Install SSH in Windows Slave (Check when using Windows and SSH)' box does the trick. There's no need to pre-install on the custom image.