FRII Services: Shell: FAQ

Article ID: 260

What is Shell?

Shell is a UNIX term for the interactive user interface with an operating system. The shell is the layer of programming that understands and executes the commands a user enters. Customers may want a shell account with FRII so they can use text-based email programs like Pine, Elm or Mutt; utilities such as ping and traceroute; or for easier management of their own directories.

What is the address of the FRII shell server?

The FRII shell server is named shell.frii.com.

Can I use "telnet" to connect to shell.frii.com?

No. Support for the "telnet" protocol is no longer available on that server, you will need to use "SSH" to connect to the FRII shell server.

What is SSH?

Secure Shell (SSH), sometimes known as Secure Socket Shell, is a UNIX-based command interface and protocol for securely gaining access to a remote computer. SSH is actually a suite of three utilities - slogin, ssh, and scp - that are secure versions of the earlier UNIX utilities, rlogin, rsh, and rcp. SSH commands are encrypted and secure in several ways. Both ends of the client/server connection are authenticated using a digital certificate, and passwords are protected by being encrypted.

SSH uses RSA public key cryptography for both connection and authentication.

SSH2, the latest version, is a proposed set of standards from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

Why does FRII not support telnet?

FRII does not support telnet due to inherent security problems with the protocol. When data is transferred using the telnet protocol, all data is sent in clear text. This means it is possible for a third party to "sniff" all traffic sent during a telnet session, including usernames and passwords. SSH encrypts all data sent during a session.

Where can I get an SSH client?

There are a number of SSH clients available, both free and for purchase. Two suggestions are:

• Putty (for Windows):
  http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html
  
• Nifty Telnet (for Mac):
  http://www.lysator.liu.se/~jonasw/freeware/niftyssh/
  

(Here is a handy link to help setup putty for the first time. Realize you will need to use FRII's server information instead of the information in the screenshots. http://www.drw.net/putty/)

What if I am using a UNIX type system?

SSH will need to be installed if you are working on a Linux or other UNIX type system that does not have SSH running. You will need to contact the people in charge of your system if you are not the administrator. If you are the administrator, you will need to install both OpenSSH as well as OpenSSL for SSH to run properly. For specific information on installing SSH on your specific distribution of UNIX, visit the website associated with that distribution. The FRII Support Staff will not be able to help you with this installation.

What are the fingerprints for FRII's public keys on shell.frii.com?

SSH1 RSA Key fingerprint: 24:0a:f8:ed:db:75:69:7e:63:bf:82:60:a4:b3:b5:7d
SSH2 RSA Key fingerprint: 6c:1d:93:29:58:0a:b2:e0:ea:f7:93:58:d5:e9:3e:02
SSH2 DSA Key fingerprint: 26:87:5b:c5:d9:7f:87:f9:97:d3:5f:e6:16:6f:31:f7

Policies:

• Do not use the same password for FRII as you do for other computer systems. If any system you use is compromised, other systems you use with the same password could be endangered.
• Due to the complex nature of this system, support is not available for UNIX-related questions. Use of this service assumes prior experience with UNIX. If you are experiencing clear problems with the operation of the server, please inform our Support staff at support@frii.net.
• Daemons (programs that are always on) can represent a significant security risk and are not permitted. There are no exceptions to this policy.
• Avoid running programs that use a large amount of system resources to avoid affecting other Internet customers.
• All other FRII policies apply.

Versions

As of 11/08, FRII is running PHP version 5.2.6 and MySQL version 5.0.67.

Last modified 11/16/2008

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