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Securely Connecting to a Unix Server with a Macintosh Computer

Summary: These instructions will help you connect to a Unix server from a Macintosh. OS X users can use the built in Terminal application. See below.

SSH -- what is it?

Secure shell (ssh) is an encrypted alternative to telnet and remote shell (rsh), wherein each packet is encrypted from the source to the destination. This prevents your communications (including passwords) from being 'sniffed' while in transit, as is known to happen with traditional telnet and rsh.

Using SSH insures that your data packets are only readable by you and the computer to which you are connecting. Nifty Telnet SSH is a free version of SSH for the Macintosh that works with OS 9 and earlier. If you have OS X, use the built in Terminal application.

OS 10 (X)

Terminal

If you have OS X, it comes with an application called Terminal built in to the Operating System. It's available in the Applications > Utilities folder.

  1. Launch Terminal.
  2. At the $ sign prompt, type: ssh ucinetid@host (for example, qsmith@ea.nacs.uci.edu)
  3. Type in your password, when prompted.
  4. If you are asked about accepting an encryption key, say yes.
  5. You will now be logged into your account.

OS 9

OS 9 and earlier did not have a built in program to connect to a Unix server. You can download and install free software that will allow you to make an SSH connection.

Downloading Nifty Telnet SSH

  1. NOTE: Before downloading Nifty Telnet, check to see if you have Stuffit Expander. If not, visit the Aladdin website to download and install Stuffit Expander (http://www.aladdinsys.com/expander/expander_mac_login.html).
  2. Once Stuffit Expander has been installed, download Nifty Telnet SSH.
    It is available from the author's (Jonas Walldén) site (http://www.lysator.liu.se/~jonasw/freeware/niftyssh/) and also from the Mac Archive (http://mac.nacs.uci.edu/download/NiftyTelnetSSH.hqx) You must be connected from a UCI domain to connect to the Mac Archive.
  3. After Nifty Telnet SSH has been downloaded, Stuffit Expander will expand the file and create a niftytelnet-1.1-ssh-r3 folder on the desktop. Open the folder and double click on the Nifty Telnet 1.1 SSH r3 icon to start the program. (Fig. 1)

Nifty Telnet Folder
Figure 1

Configuring Nifty Telnet SSH

  1. Once the program starts, click on File and from the available menu options choose New Connection. (Fig. 2)

File Menu for New Connection
Fig. 2

  1. This brings up the New Connection window. Click the Edit button. (Fig. 3)

New Connection in Nifty Telnet
Fig. 3

  1. Clicking on Edit brings up the Telnet Shortcut window (Fig. 4). The following fields will need to be changed:
  2. Shortcut Name - Enter a general name for the server - in this example it is EA.
  3. Host Name - Enter the host server name you want to connect to: examples are ea.nacs.uci.edu (students) or e4e.nacs.uci.edu (faculty/staff)
  4. User Name - Type in the user name you use to connect to the server (your UCInetID, for example qsmith)
  5. Emulation - Choose VT-100 as the emulated terminal type from the list
  6. Protocol - Choose SSH-3DES as the protocol to use.

Telnet Shortcut Window
Fig. 4

  1. After configuring the Telnet Shortcut click on OK.

Connecting with Nifty Telnet

  1. Return back to the New Connection window. If any additional connections are to be configured click New at this point.
    NOTE: The newly created shortcut (EA in our example) should now be listed under the Shortcuts window.
  2. Select the connection you want and click Connect to open the newly created shortcut.
  3. After clicking on Connect, this will bring up the Host Identification Alert window (Fig. 5). Make sure that you click on the Accept & Save button.

Host ID Alert
Fig. 5

  1. Following this, you will be presented with the SSH Login window, where you will be prompted to enter your username and password. If you configured the shortcut with your username, it will already be entered in the username field. Finally click on Login to connect.
  2. The familiar terminal window should appear at this time, showing that you are connected. (Fig. 6) Your window may look different than this.

EA Window
Fig. 6