Yeah, the Windows-based alternatives (RDP, VNC, or even shudder something like GoToMyPC) are waaay better for quick dead-simple system administration. /s
SSH works great for systems that didn't have to have networked multi-user support hacked in later in their lifecycle. Systems that let you actually get stuff done without having to paint a whole GUI environment to do it.
I can automate running "git pull && mvn clean package && deploy-tool-of-choice" across N servers. I can't really automate "Okay, wait for the GUI to paint and then be sent across the wire, then click Start, then click on the GUI Git tool start menu entry, wait for it to load, then click the 'sync' button, then wait for it to finish, then open a GUI(!) command prompt (in my GUI environment!) and cd to the right directory, then type 'mvn clean package' and wait for it to finish, then click Start, then click on the deploy tool start menu entry, then wait for it to load, then click 'deploy'".
The fact that there are a number of tools that try to hack that sort of behavior in by emulating pixel-scrapeable virtual displays and mice/keyboards is a testament to how shoddy the alternative to SSH is.
SSH works great for systems that didn't have to have networked multi-user support hacked in later in their lifecycle. Systems that let you actually get stuff done without having to paint a whole GUI environment to do it.
I can automate running "git pull && mvn clean package && deploy-tool-of-choice" across N servers. I can't really automate "Okay, wait for the GUI to paint and then be sent across the wire, then click Start, then click on the GUI Git tool start menu entry, wait for it to load, then click the 'sync' button, then wait for it to finish, then open a GUI(!) command prompt (in my GUI environment!) and cd to the right directory, then type 'mvn clean package' and wait for it to finish, then click Start, then click on the deploy tool start menu entry, then wait for it to load, then click 'deploy'".
The fact that there are a number of tools that try to hack that sort of behavior in by emulating pixel-scrapeable virtual displays and mice/keyboards is a testament to how shoddy the alternative to SSH is.