% The Course Linux Server - idallen-ubuntu % Ian! D. Allen - idallen@idallen.ca - www.idallen.com % Winter 2013 - January to April 2013 - Updated Wed Feb 27 08:15:08 EST 2013 Problem Reporting for the Course Linux Server ============================================= Any issues you have regarding the Course Linux Server must be dealt with *only* through your Linux instructor. Neither Algonquin ITS nor the Help Desk know anything about this Linux machine. All issues, including password resetting, must be resolved directly with your Linux instructor. **This machine does not use your Algonquin network password.** Your instructor can tell you your special Course Linux Server password. Here’s how to [Report Problems] well. Access to the Course Linux Server ================================= The Course Linux Server is running Ubuntu GNU/Linux version 12.04 (April 2012). It is a virtual machine running inside VirtualBox on a four-processor Intel(R) Xeon(R) X3220 @2.40GHz that has 8GB of memory and 1TB of RAID-1 disk. The Ubuntu virtual machine is limited to 4GB of memory and 16GB of disk at the moment. The Course Linux Server is located on a Public **IPv4** address at `cst8177.idallen.ca` and a Public **IPv6** address at `ipv6.cst8177.idallen.ca`. Both Public addresses are visible anywhere on the Internet, giving you full access to the machine without needing to use the Algonquin VPN. You can also access the machine from on-campus at Algonquin College using the Private address `cst8177-alg.idallen.ca` that only works on-campus at Algonquin College (or via the VPN). Due to network problems at Algonquin (session time-outs and dropped connections), use the Private address `cst8177-alg.idallen.ca` rather than the Public address when on campus. Logging in to the Course Linux Server using SSH =============================================== You can log in to the Course Linux Server using the remote terminal prococol SSH and you can transfer files using programs such as SFTP or SCP that use variations of the SSH protocol. On your first SSH/SFTP/SCP login connection, you will be asked to accept the Course Linux Server encryption key. Say “`yes`” (full word). Login using your usual Algonquin (Blackboard) userid and your special Course Linux Server password given to you by your instructor. **This machine does not use your Algonquin network password.** Your instructor can tell you your special Course Linux Server password. If you need your password reset, see your Linux instructor; do not go to ITS. You log in to this machine differently, depending on whether you are running a Unix/Linix/OSX/BSD/Cygwin system or a Windows system: Log in via SSH from Unix/Linux, Mac OSX, and Cygwin --------------------------------------------------- For Windows users, scroll down to the [Microsoft Windows PuTTY] section. To login to the Course Linux Server from the shell prompt at another Unix machine (including from Fedora, Ubuntu, SUSE, Knoppix, BSD, from a Macintosh OSX Terminal, or from Windows Cygwin), use a SSH command similar to the ones below, but be sure to use your own Algonquin userid. Replace the userid `abcd0001`, below, with your usual Algonquin userid. As you log in, make sure the login banner says `COURSE LINUX SERVER` when you connect! If this is not true, you are trying to log in to the wrong machine. On your first connection, you will be asked to accept the server encryption key. Say “yes” (full word). Login using your usual Algonquin userid and your special Linux Server password. **The Course Linux Server does not use your Algonquin network password.** Your instructor can tell you your special Linux Server password. If you need your password reset, see your Linux instructor; do not go to ITS. Apple Mac OSX systems have a `terminal` program that lets you use the command lines below. The Windows Cygwin environment has a Bash shell that gives access to the same standard *ssh* command line as below. ### SSH Via cst8177.idallen.ca or ipv6.cst8177.idallen.ca Make sure the login banner says `COURSE LINUX SERVER` when you connect! If this is not true, you are trying to log in to the wrong machine. $ ssh abcd0001@cst8177.idallen.ca Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes *** COURSE LINUX SERVER *** abcd0001@cst8177.idallen.ca's password: ...answer yes (full word) to accept the host key, if asked... ...enter your special Course Linux Server password... Make sure the login banner says `COURSE LINUX SERVER` when you connect! If this is not true, you are trying to log in to the wrong machine. ### SSH using alternate Port numbers The default SSH Port number is port 22. If you need to use a non-default Port number when connecting, specify the port number on the SSH command line using the `-p` option: $ ssh -p 2222 abcd0001@some.example.com Make sure the login banner says `COURSE LINUX SERVER` when you connect! If this is not true, you are trying to log in to the wrong machine. Log in via SSH from Windows using PuTTY --------------------------------------- If you use Windows (e.g. in Algonquin Microsoft labs), you can use the free **PuTTY** program (or other SSH-capable program) to connect to the Course Linux Server using the SSH protocol. In some labs that do not have PuTTY installed, you may have to do a Google search for “PuTTY download” and download the executable `putty.exe` first. **Before** you start your PuTTY connection, make the PuTTY configuration changes given below. Failure to make these changes may result in your PuTTY session being disconnected in the middle. On your first connection, a window will appear and you will be asked to accept the server encryption key. Click on “yes”. Next, you will be prompted to enter your login userid; login using your usual eight-character Algonquin userid (the same one you use for Blackboard). When it asks for your password, use your special Course Linux Server password. The password will **not echo** on your screen as you type it; you will be typing “blind”. **The Course Linux Server does not use your Algonquin network password.** Your Linux instructor can tell you your special Course Linux Server password. If you need your password reset, see your Linux instructor; do not go to ITS. Make sure the login banner says `COURSE LINUX SERVER` when you connect! If this is not true, you are trying to log in to the wrong machine. ### PuTTY Configuration options for Windows users **Before** you connect using PuTTY, you should set up and Save the following PuTTY Configuration session. Save it by typing a name under **Session** as a PuTTY *Saved Session* so you can use it again later without having to set it up again. In the PuTTY Configuration dialog box: Session: Host Name (or IP address) and Port: cst8177.idallen.ca and port 22 *OR* cst8177-alg.idallen.ca and port 22 Connection type: SSH (set to SSH *before* you set the Port) Window: Rows: 40 (or choose whatever fits on your screen) Connection: Seconds between keepalives: 55 Disable Nagle's algorithm: ON Enable TCP keepalives: ON Internet protocol version: IPv4 Remember to SAVE your configuration for later. If you have IPv6 connectivity at home, you can experiment using the IPv6 host name `ipv6.cst8177.idallen.ca` and `Internet protocol version: IPv6`. If you are on-campus at Algonquin College, you can get a more direct connection using the Private address `cst8177-alg.idallen.ca` that only works on-campus at Algonquin College (or via the VPN). File Transfer to/from the Course Linux Server ============================================= The Course Linux Server supports only secure SCP/SFTP-style file transfers, based on the secure SSH protocol. The server does not have the old insecure FTP protocol installed. The Class Notes file on [File Transfer] has the details for file transfer between Linux, Windows, Mac OSX, and Cygwin systems. Copies of the CST8207 Course Notes ================================== When you are connected to a terminal session on the Course Linux Server, you can find a searchable copy of all the CST8207 Class Notes files under Linux directory: ~idallen/public_html/teaching/ > The Linux shells will expand a leading “`~idallen`” on a name to be the > home directory of the “`idallen`” account, which is currently > `/home/idallen`, but could change, which is why `~idallen` is better than > `/home/idallen`, since `~idallen` is always correct. Under the above directory, pick the sub-directory corresponding to the course, and under that course directory pick the current term. The class *notes* are stored in a `notes` sub-directory under the term. You can search the `notes` directory using “`grep`” to find things quickly. It helps to have a short link to the notes in your own account: $ cd $ ln -s ~idallen/public_html/teaching/cst8207/12f/notes oldnotes $ ln -s ~idallen/public_html/teaching/cst8207/13w/notes newnotes $ ln -s ~idallen/public_html/teaching/cst8177/13w/notes notes $ grep -i -l "symbolic" notes/*.txt oldnotes/*.txt newnotes/*.txt [... list of file names (no content) print here ...] $ grep -i "symbolic" notes/*.txt oldnotes/*.txt newnotes/*.txt [... lines of file content print here ...] The symbolic links you create, above, in your own home directory make it easier (shorter) to search the various *notes* directory without having to type the long pathname every time. -- | Ian! D. Allen - idallen@idallen.ca - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | Home Page: http://idallen.com/ Contact Improv: http://contactimprov.ca/ | College professor (Free/Libre GNU+Linux) at: http://teaching.idallen.com/ | Defend digital freedom: http://eff.org/ and have fun: http://fools.ca/ [Plain Text] - plain text version of this page in [Pandoc Markdown] format [Report Problems]: 008_how_to_report_problems.html [Microsoft Windows PuTTY]: #log-in-via-ssh-from-windows-using-putty [File Transfer]: 220_file_transfer.html [Plain Text]: 000_course_linux_server.txt [Pandoc Markdown]: http://johnmacfarlane.net/pandoc/