HowTo|
HowTo |
Access University Linux Servers using SSH | Prof. Bartenstein |
It is posssible for Binghamton University students to use a facility called a "Secure Socket Shell" or SSH for short in order to log on to a Binghamton University Linux server machine using a terminal window on your laptop. These instructions describe how to do so from a laptop running Windows. It is possible to connect using similar procedures from Apple hardware and software as well.
In order to use SSH to get to the BingWeb or CS servers, you will need to tunnel through the Binghamton University firewall using a "Virtual Private Network" (VPN). This is perfectly legal for anyone with Binghamton University credentials. In order to do this, you will need to install the "Cisco Secure Access Client" software on your laptop. There are instructions for doing this at the Connecting from Off Campus web page. (Note - you need this to SSH to remote servers even if you are on campus.)
Once you have installed the Cisco Secure Access Client, follow the directions to connect to the Binghamton University VPN.
Windows 10 now has an ssh command. If you open a command prompt window on your Windows screen, you can type in "ssh <userid>@bingweb.binghamton.edu" to open a command line terminal (where <userid> is your BU userid.) The first time you do this, ssh will ask if you accept the key fingerprint of the host. I say "yes" at this point. After the first time, this question will not appear. The result is a true command line window. All full screen commands will (such as gedit to open an editor) will not work.
One alternative is a freeware product called MobaXterm. Other SSH client software is available, but MobaXterm is easy and everything we need is available in the free edition. Download and install the free addition from https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/. Once you have installed MobaXterm, start it, and create a new session by clicking on the "Session" icon, then starting an "SSH" session, specifying a Binghamton University Server (bingweb.binghamton.edu) as the remote host, and your BU userid as the username. Leave the "Port" at the default of 22. None of the advanced settings need to be modified.
The Binghamton University servers can be accessed using the web address bingweb.binghamton.edu. You must tunnel through the firewall using Cisco Secure Access Client to access these servers, whether you are on campus or not. Once you are conneted to the VPN with Cisco Secure Access, specify your BU userid and password to log onto the Binghamton University servers.
The Computer Science servers can be accessed (by computer science majors) at remote.cs.binghamton.edu. Specify you Gmail userid and password to log on to the Computer Science servers.
When you run an SSH client, you get a terminal window logged in to whatever server you connected to. Keep in mind that others in the University may need to use these same resources, so please use these resources wisely. You should also follow rules and restrictions associated with the server.
In general, an SSH terminal in which you use simple line oriented commands requires minimal resources from a server. More complicated or buggy commands, such as programs caught in endless loops, may consume significantly more resources, so try to be careful and try to interrupt and cancel (e.g. Ctrl-C) programs which behave badly.
Full screen programs, such as a full screen editor (like gedit) or an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) such as Eclipse, or any program with a Graphical User Interace require significantly more resources than simple line oriented commands. MobaXterm allows you to use such programs, but use these with care to avoid sending full screens back and forth over the network as much as possible. For instance, use a local editor on a local copy of a file instead of using a remote editor.
If you have a Network U-Drive, your U-Drive will be mounted as your home directory when you log on the Bingweb server. However, initialization scripts, such as .bashrc, will not be executed from your network drive.
I find it terribly useful to mount my network U-Drive on my laptop. Then I can edit files locally, using a Windows editor such as Notepad++, but still open an SSH window and compile and run on a Linux machine.
You must be running Cisco Secure Access to tunnel through the BU IT Firewall in order to connect to the remote.cs servers. See the IT Connecting from Off Campus web page for details on how to install and run Cisco Secure Access.
See the How To Use Computer Science Disk Space page for more information on accessing/editing files in your Computer Science home directory.