Lesson18.Networking and Security

Lesson 18. Networking and Security

In this lesson, you will learn some aspects of Unix remote access, networking, and security functionality.

In this lesson, we will cover how to remotely access your Unix system using tools such as telnet and ssh (secure shell), as well as how to use FTP (File Transfer Protocol) to send and receive files securely. You have spent so much time learning how to log in and use files, it is now time to explain to you how to do it with other Unix systems and do it securely.

Remote access is something that you might always see when working with Unix; very few and far between are the times when a Unix system is not in a protected place and locking everyone out of accessing the console directly. Because of the nature (and cost) of enterprise class hardware, Unix may only be accessed through some remote access method.

Remote access is just thatyou want to access something remotely from where you are, or the system is remote from you. Regardless, it's the exact opposite of having a system on your desk where you can walk over and access the keyboard and type right into the shell prompt. Often, you will need to access this server from a local workstation (usually a Microsoft Windows system) and you connect to the Unix system with a telnet or secure shell. That being said, we will spend some time going over those tools and others. We will also cover the use of FTP to transfer files and how to use a web browser in KDE.

Well, you are almost at the end of the book and throughout we have touched on concepts that have helped you work with the Unix operating system to manage files, processes, and scripts.

In this chapter, we talk about how Unix is used in the networking areas of remote access and what security implications may arise from doing so.

With the proper configuration, you could spread Unix machines around the globe and at each one your user environment, files, and programs would all appear just as they do at home. This is the beauty and power of networking. Let's begin with using telnet.