Ubuntu: Up and Running

Telnet and SSH

Sometimes you need to log directly into a command-line shell on a remote computer, and the best way to do this is via Telnet or SSH (Secure Shell). SSH is far preferable because it’s secure, whereas Telnet isn’t, although on a local network behind a suitable firewall Telnet is perfectly OK.

The best program I have seen for performing these functions is the PuTTY application, which you can install from the Ubuntu Software Center by entering “putty” in the search field and then double-clicking Putty SSH Client, followed by clicking Install on the following screen. After entering your password, the program will be downloaded and installed, and will become available under the Applications → Internet menu. When you first run PuTTY, it will look like Figure 11-14.

Figure 11-13. A torrent being downloaded

Figure 11-14. The PuTTY main screen

To connect to a remote computer, enter its IP address or domain name in the Host Name field, and choose the kind of connection from the radio buttons underneath—by default this will be SSH. You can, if you wish, enter a session name in the Saved Sessions field and click the Save button to store those details for future use. After choosing the window behavior on exit (from the “Close window on exit” section), click the Open button to establish ...