SSH networking

[viking60]

I always struggle with Samba, basically the SSH protocol is way more secure anyway. So I use mostly ssh to communicate with network and remote computers.

My problem is that I might have different usernames on those computers so I will have to remember

berserk@someserver.com and viking60@anotherserver.org etc. and they all might have different ports too.
I could use aliases of course but SSH has a config file that can gather all that information.

If you don't have it then create ~/.ssh/config and chmod it to 600 (not higher).

Now I want my box to understand that I always use viking60 as my username if nothing else is specified.And I want to specify servers with "special" settings.

I start with the specials and put the general info at the bottom - this is important!

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Host ss
Hostname someserver.com
Port 88995
User berserk


to log in to this server i can now simply type

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ssh ss

rather than:

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ssh berserk@someserver.com -p 88995

I also want to save the time of writing viking60@ on all the other servers so I want this to be preset too:

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Host *
User viking60

now I can simply write

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ssh anotherserver

By now my entire ~/.ssh/config looks like this:

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Host ss
Hostname someserver.com
Port 88995
User berserk

Host *
User viking60


I combine this with the password-less secure login (ssh encryption key):

On my local PC I typed:
1.

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ssh-keygen

I entered a passphrase (you don't have to )

2. I typed (on my local PC):

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ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub viking60-server

(That is where the magic happens and the key is moved to the viking60-server from my local PC)

3.I log in to the server from my local PC

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ssh viking60-server

You can't use this with Windows you say?
Yes you can!

http://support.suso.com/supki/SSH_Tutorial_for_Windows
Basically you use Putty.

[Snorkasaurus]

Basically you use Putty.

PuTTY and WinSCP are two of the bitchinest applications available for Windows. A couple of items I didn't see in the article are

1. There is a fork of PuTTY called KiTTY that includes serial support in case you happen to be one of those suckers... I mean "lucky admins" who gets to manage switches & routers that are inherited from admins who don't document passwords. :-)
2. WinSCP has an extensive scripting feature that can be used to automate a plethora of tasks including scheduled backups to a remote location.

My 3¢
S.

[Blackcrack]

Hi,

try out
http://smartty.sysprogs.com/
http://smartty.sysprogs.com/download/
the portable one.. this is the best for use it win WinNt like Reactos.org, Win7
and supports in openmandriva the ssh X-redirect for starting drakconf and other X-Programms.

with "su -" become you the root with original-variables from root (like local login),
with only "su" have you the possible for execute root-command/orders
but more better it is to have an fully root-variable as root

the same can you use with an user "su - %user%"

best regards
Blacky

[viking60]

Yes two good alternatives there. Putty is no holy grail - only the best known.
They both look very good and they can both handle SSH.

[Blackcrack]

hummm, kitty and putty can not x redirect, smartty can it already ..

[viking60]

Tested smarty


I used the portable version and I was logged in in "no time" so it seems good.
The X bit did only pop a lot of windows without working - almost like a virus so that part was not to peachy (probably fixable but still)
Checking out Kitty now.....

And no problems with kitty portable either it logs in there fast. Both do the job.

[Snorkasaurus]

hummm, kitty and putty can not x redirect, smartty can it already ..

Hey Blackcrack,
When you setup your connection, click on X11 in the left pane (under ssh) to setup x redir in putty.
S.

[Blackcrack]

oh oh ohhkeeyyy thank's, did not look directly on it..
but now, nice.. thank you
edit: humm.. is an installable xserver and not portable ... smartty is portable ..

best regards
Blacky

[Snorkasaurus]

Hey Blackcrack... I actually haven't had a chance to try out smarty yet, but I like the portable feature so I am going to try it soon! Have you tried using it as a portable app with key auth? I'm just wondering how it stores keys when being used as portable.

S.

[viking60]

Eh... I just tested the portable Kitty version ?

[Blackcrack]

@Snorkasaurus : i think in an subfolder .. i use it via password, so an normal login .. bit i think it works in other possibility's also
@viking60: Kitty it's only a extended version of Putty so it is Kitty like Putty, but more extended..

best regards
Blacky

[Snorkasaurus]

i think in an subfolder .. i use it via password, so an normal login .. bit i think it works in other possibility's also

I think a simple subfolder for storage would be just fine... I like to have a USB stick with a Truecrypt volume full of utilities, then just put the different ports of Truecrypt at the root, works pretty sweet.

S.