FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Contents

  • Why should I use secure shell (SSH) and not telnet?
  • How to install and use secure shell (SSH) clients for Unix (Solaris, IRIX, Linux, etc.)
  • How to install and use secure shell (SSH) clients for Windows
  • How to create NSF PDF files
  • How to subscribe to CS General Mailing List
  • How to change your Password
  • How to create your own webpage
    • Why should I use secure shell (SSH) and not telnet?
    How would you like your passwords to get into someone else's hands? How would you like it if people could read your email? With telnet, everything is transmitted in plain text. That means that anyone with the right software can get all sorts of information you wouldn't want them to have. So, what's the solution to this? Secure shell! Secure shell, otherwise known as SSH, is a secure alternative to telnet. Everything including your initial login password is encrypted. In addition, for Unix users, X11 programs you wish to run can be tunneled through SSH and will be secure. SSH clients are free for all common operating systems and can be set up quite easily. Instructions for how to install SSH for common operating systems is contained in another section of this FAQ.
    How to install and use secure shell (SSH) clients for Unix
    • For starters, most faculty and staff Unix machines already have ssh installed.
    • To see if your Unix machine has ssh installed, simply type "ssh yourusername@eola.cs.ucf.edu" at the shell prompt. The field "yourusername" should be replaced with your Eola username. Also, don't use the quotes around the command.
    • If ssh is installed, you will be prompted for one of two items. The first item is a few lines of text containing a large number and a prompt asking if you want to accept a key. Just type "yes" and hit enter. You will then be prompted for your Eola password. If this message doesn't come up, you will simply be prompted for your password.
    • After you enter your password, you should be looking at the familiar Eola shell as it would be if you were using telnet.
    • If ssh is not installed on your machine or returns an error, please contact Computing Support or email help@cs.ucf.edu and someone will install it on your computer. If you are feeling brave or have a personal machine, you may download OpenSSL and OpenSSH from whatever source you please. You may need other libraries including but not limited to zlib in order to build OpenSSL and OpenSSH. Feel free to email if you have questions.
    How to install and use secure shell (SSH) clients for Windows
    • Obtain the free SSH client "PuTTY" from the following URL: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest/putty.exe
    • When your browser asks what to do with the file, tell it to save to the desktop. Having PuTTY on your desktop makes it much more convenient to access.
    • Once the file is saved to your desktop, it will have a picture of two computers with a little lightning bolt between them. If you're seeing this, then you installed PuTTY properly.
    • To run PuTTY, double click on the icon mentioned above.
    • Once PuTTY loads, a little box will pop up with some options. On the left will be a tree of option categories. Clicking on any of them will show the appropriate settings on the right side of the window.
    • On the left menu tree, click on "Session". On the right you will see a place for "Host Name" and a few other options. Type (without the quotes of course), "eola.cs.ucf.edu" in that box. Then click on the button that says "SSH" right near it. Do not change the port number.
    • Now go to the "Keyboard" section of the menu tree. You will see a section called "The Backspace key". Please set the button for "Control-H".
    • You may also go to the "Appearance" section of the menu tree to change the font and colors to your liking.
    • When done with the above, click on the "Session" menu again. A few lines down you will see a space labeled "Saved Sessions". In that box, type "Eola" (without the quotes, of course). Click on the "Save" button to the right when done.
    • PuTTY should have saved a session named "Eola" in the larger box below the "Saved Sessions" line. Double click on the "Eola" session.
    • For the first time you use PuTTY, a little box will pop up asking about a new key. Just click on the "Yes" button.
    • A telnet-like box should pop up prompting for a username or login. From this point on, it is your standard Eola login information. You can use SSH just like you use telnet. When done, type "exit" or "logout" as you would in telnet.
    • When you need to get into Eola again, double click on the PuTTY icon on your desktop. When it opens, double click on the "Eola" session located in the "Saved Sessions" box.
    How to create NSF PDF files
    Type:
    • latex file.tex
    • dvips -o file.ps file.dvi
    • ps2pdf -dMaxSubsetPct=100 -dCompatibilityLevel=1.2 -dSubsetFonts=true -dEmbedAllFonts=true file.ps file.pdf


    Links to sites with additional PDF information:
    http://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/a1/pdfcreat.htm
    http://www.pdfresearch.com/Pages/howtof.html
    http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/topissuesac.htm


    How to subscribe to CS General mailing lists


    Note: The Grad mailing list is a closed list. If you are a CS graduate student and you are not receiving grad emails, please send mail to help@cs.ucf.edu

    How to change your password
    To change your password, please login to eola.cs.ucf.edu and type passwd at the prompt. If it asks for your Old Secure RPC password, enter nisplus.
    How to create your own webpage
  • First create the public_html directory in your account if you do not have one.
  • Create in public_html the file index.html or home.html using a text editor. The webpage is implemented in this file.
    Need help creating a webpage, click on the following link:     http://www.ucf.edu/outside.html#html
  • Making the webpage accessible on the web. Need to change the permission of index.html file using chmod:
    e.g chmod 644 index.html gives other users read permission
    Note: you also need to give other users execute permission to your home directory by typing chmod o+x . in your home directory

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