
         VShell(R) 5.0.1 (Official) -- September 29, 2026

          Copyright (C) 1995-2026 VanDyke Software, Inc.
                      All rights reserved.


Product Overview
----------------

The VShell secure file transfer server combines strong security 
with simple configuration on Windows, Linux, and Mac.

Protect data in transit with strong encryption.  Transfer files 
and manage remote servers with confidence.  Control server access 
with trusted authentication.

Save time and resources by automating business processes. 
Automatically respond to server events such as upload, download, 
and new file creation using triggers.

VShell includes a 60-day try-before-you-buy evaluation license for
the fully functional application and access to VanDyke Software(R)
technical support.

Please see the history.txt file downloaded with this package for
a complete list of new features, changes, and bug fixes.


Contents
--------
 1. Key Benefits
 2. New in VShell 5.0
 3. System Requirements
 4. Export Control
 5. Upgrades
 6. VShell Features
 7. Windows Security Considerations
 8. Mailing Lists
 9. Videos
10. Enhancement Requests and Questions
11. Reporting Bugs
12. Contact Information


1. Key Benefits
---------------

Provide strong, multi-protocol security for data in transit:

  VShell delivers proven, open-standard authentication and
  encryption with a variety of protocols including SSH2, SFTP,
  FTPS, and HTTPS.

Control access to features and files by user or group: 

  VShell gives you extensive controls to manage privileges for 
  file transfer, shell, and other services.

Set up and configure the server easily: 

  VShell installs and runs right "out of the box".

Automate business processes: 

  One key way to increase admin productivity is to provide 
  automation support.  The VShell server does this with a combina-
  tion of event triggers, remote command execution, and command-
  line utilities.

Logging and monitoring: 

  Choose which message groups should be logged and where they should 
  be logged.  The VShell Monitor displays current connections in real 
  time.


2. New in VShell Server 5.0
---------------------------

Here are some of the new features in VShell 5.0:

Fine-Grained Control Over Public-key Authentication

    Comply with internal or external requirements for public-key 
    authentication by selecting which algorithms will be accepted 
    from the client.

New Trigger Capabilities

    Expand your automation capabilities by using triggers to send 
    an email when an upload or download fails. Take action on files 
    or folders when the name matches a particular pattern.

Convenience

   On Windows, a new feature lets you troubleshoot, detect issues, 
   and get a detailed assessment of your VShell configuration.

   On Windows, use the VShell Control Panel to create/edit 
   subconfiguration files (no more hand editing).


3. System Requirements
----------------------

Windows
  - Windows Server 2025
  - Windows 11
  - Windows Server 2022
  - Windows Server 2019
  - Windows Server 2016
  - Windows 10

Linux 
  - Ubuntu/Kubuntu 24.04 LTS 64-bit
  - Ubuntu/Kubuntu 22.04 LTS 64-bit

macOS 
  - macOS 26 (Tahoe)
  - macOS 15 (Sequoia)


4. Export Control
-----------------

This Software is subject to export control.  The Software may be
transmitted, exported, or re-exported only under applicable export
laws and restrictions and regulations of the United States Bureau of
Industry and Security or foreign agencies or authorities.  By
downloading or using the Software, you are agreeing to comply with
export controls.  

For more information see:

  https://www.vandyke.com/download/export.html


5. Upgrades
-----------

Users who purchased VShell within a year prior to the official 
release are eligible for a free upgrade to VShell 5.0.  All users 
can evaluate VShell 5.0 for 60 days free of charge.  For more 
information, please visit:

  https://www.vandyke.com/pricing/index.html?pid=upgrades


6. VShell Features
------------------

File Transfer
  - SFTP and FTPS for secure file transfers.
  - HTTPS secure file transfer with easy-to-use browser client (VShell 
    Enterprise Edition with HTTPS).
  - Support for conventional FTP and HTTP.
  - SCP file transfers.
  - Restriction of file uploads by file type.

Access Control
  - Fine-grain access control to allow or deny logon, SFTP, SCP, FTPS, 
    HTTPS, shell, remote execution, port forwarding, and remote port 
    forwarding by individual users or groups.

File System Restriction
  - Virtual roots to "lock down" file system access to specified 
    directories on a user or group basis.
  - SFTP virtual roots to transparently transfer connections from 
    VShell to a target SFTP server (Windows).
  - Jail shell to restrict users and members of groups to their home 
    directory (SSH2/SFTP, Linux/Mac).

Automation
  - Triggers to automate responses to file/folder events such as 
    upload, download, creation, deletion, renaming, and addition
    of files to a folder.
  - Triggers to automate responses to login, logout, failed
    authentication, and no virtual roots.
  - Ability to customize names of files or folders when moving or 
    copying files in response to a trigger.  
  - Variables to insert dates, timestamps, usernames, session IDs,
    pre-defined text, etc., into filenames.
  - Ability to send automated email with file transfer summary
    (Windows).
  - Command-line utilities for automating routine tasks, including
    vsftp and vcp for SFTP file transfer, vsh for shell access, 
    and vkeygen to generate public/private keys.
  - VRALib API for scripting SSH2 sessions through a Windows COM 
    interface (Windows).

Remote Access and Administration (SSH2)
  - Administer servers remotely and securely.
  - Accomplish common administrative tasks.
  - Remotely execute commands as a different user (Windows).
  - Start unattended batch jobs.

Connection Control
  - Connection filters to control which hosts can connect.
  - Port-forward filters to control which port-forwarding requests are 
    allowed (SSH2).
  - Ability to limit number of concurrent connections per user.
  - Ability to limit number of concurrent connections across all 
    users.
  - Separate idle timeout options for SSH2/SFTP, FTPS, and HTTPS.

Deny Hosts/Users
  - Whitelist or blacklist by IP address.
  - Blacklist by user name.
  - Ability to specify the amount of time and number of authentication 
    failures that will be tolerated before a host is automatically
    blacklisted (Windows).

Host Identity Verification
  - Host key types supported include RSA (512 - 16,384 bits), 
    DSA (1024 bits), ECDSA (256, 384, and 521 bits), and 
    Ed25519 (256 bits). 
  - Support for X.509 host keys (x509v3-sign-rsa, x509v3-sign-dss)
    (Windows).

User Authentication
  - Windows account integration (Windows).
  - Password authentication.
  - Public-key authentication with support for RSA (512 - 16,384 
    bits), DSA (1024 bits), ECDSA (256, 384, and 521 bits), and 
    Ed25519 (256 bits) (SSH2/SFTP). 
  - Internal VShell user database.
  - Specify allowed/required list of authentication methods 
    (SSH2/SFTP).
  - Kerberos v5 authentication via GSSAPI.
  - Keyboard-interactive authentication using PAM (Linux/Mac, 
    SSH2/SFTP).
  - RADIUS server support (Windows, SSH2/SFTP).
  - LDAP server integration (Windows).
  - X.509 certification authentication (Windows, SSH2/SFTP).
  - HTTPS Single Sign On (SSO) (Windows, HTTPS).
  - Ability to limit number of failed authentication attempts.
  - Configurable timeout period for completing authentications.

Data Protection (SSH2/SFTP)
  - Data encryption including ChaCha20/Poly1305, AES-256-CTR, 
    AES-192-CTR, AES-128-CTR, AES-256-GCM, AES-128-CTM, AES-256,
    AES-192, AES-128, Twofish, and 3DES ciphers.
  - Data integrity with Message Authentication Codes (MACs) including 
    SHA2-512, SHA2-512-EtM, SHA-256, SHA-256-EtM, UMAC-128, 
    UMAC-128-EtM, UMAC-64, UMAC-64-EtM, SHA1, SHA1-EtM,  MD5, 
    SHA1-96, and MD5-96.
  - Key exchange algorithms including curve25519-sha256, ecdh-sha2-
    nistp521, ecdh-sha2-nistp384, ecdh-sha2-nistp256, diffie-hellman-
    group-exchange-sha256, diffie-hellman-group16-sha512, diffie-
    hellman-group18-sha512, diffie-hellman-group14-sha256, 
    diffie-hellman-group14, diffie-hellman-group, diffie-hellman, 
    Kerberos, and Kerberos (Group Exchange).
  - Ability to disable any unwanted ciphers, MACs, or key exchange
    algorithms. 
  - Port forwarding for secure access to standard data traffic 
    through a single, secure, multiplexed channel.

Logging and Monitoring
  - VShell Monitor to view active VShell sessions (Windows).
  - Message logging to a remote syslog or syslog-ng server.
  - Message logging to VShell log files.
  - Message logging to the Windows event log (Windows).
  - Ability to select messages to be logged according to message 
    group, including errors, warnings, informational, connection, 
    authentication, SFTP, FTPS, HTTPS, port forward, debug, and 
    LSA (Local Security Authority).

Server Configuration
  - VShell Control Panel for interactive configuration (Windows).
  - Single-file configuration (Linux/Mac).
  - CUCM configuration wizard for easy integration with Cisco Unified 
    Communications Manager (Windows).
  - VShellConfig command-line configuration utility (Windows).
  - Per user/group/location sub-configuration support.

Standards
  - FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic library support (Windows).
  - US Rehabilitation Action Section 508 compliance.

Other
  - IPv6 support.
  - Mouse support for character-based applications running in a 
    command window (Windows).
  - Bandwidth throttling.
  - Ability to allow or deny specific SFTP commands.
 

7. Windows Security Considerations
----------------------------------

The VShell server provides strong encryption and simple con-
figuration, however, any security software depends upon a safe
physical area and good security practices and policies to be most
effective.

It is strongly recommended that you review your password policies or,
alternatively, consider requiring that users logging onto VShell are
required to use a public key.

Public-key authentication is one of the most secure methods to
authenticate using Secure Shell and the public-key assistant
supported by VShell, makes it easy for users to upload their own
public keys.

In addition, you should review your system to be sure that only the
necessary services are running and exercise proper account and
configuration management.


8. Mailing Lists
----------------

Every VanDyke Software license includes a full year of upgrades and
technical support.  To receive e-mail notification when new releases
of VShell are available, sign up for our VShell mailing list at:

  https://www.vandyke.com/cgi-bin/subscribe.php


9. Videos
---------

Get online video how-tos on the VanDyke Software YouTube Channel:

  http://youtube.com/vandykesoftware


10. Enhancement Requests and Questions
-------------------------------------

We want to hear from you.  Let us know what features you would like to
see in future releases of VShell by visiting our website at:

  https://www.vandyke.com/cgi-bin/customer_form.php?cft=feature

If you have any questions, please visit our website at:

  https://www.vandyke.com/cgi-bin/customer_form.php?cft=support


11. Reporting Bugs
------------------

If you experience something you believe is a bug, please fill out
our online form at: 

   https://www.vandyke.com/cgi-bin/customer_form.php?cft=bug

Please do not assume someone else will report it.  We will try to
resolve reported bugs as quickly as possible; however, we can't 
resolve bugs that are not reported.

Please describe the problem in as much detail as possible.  Please 
include the following information:

   - Version of VShell (as shown in the About dialog)
   - TCP/IP package and version
   - Operating system and version (including service pack level)


12. Contact Information
-----------------------

For information on ordering licenses, please visit the VanDyke 
Software website at the following address:

   https://www.vandyke.com


All other inquiries should be directed to:

   VanDyke Software, Inc.
   4848 Tramway Ridge Dr. NE
   Suite 101
   Albuquerque, NM  87111
   USA

   Inquiry form:  https://www.vandyke.com/feedback.php


VanDyke Software and VShell are trademarks or registered trademarks 
of VanDyke Software, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries.

All other products and services mentioned are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.
