|
|
|
|
|
|
|
  |
||||||
|
|
|||||
|
      |
|||||
|
||||||
|
 |
|||||
|
Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ) about Remote Access |
|||||
General Remote Access
General AFS
Realm/Solaris and Realm/Linux Applications on Windows
Secure File Transfer from Windows
WolfCall
Other Protocols
Wish List
General Remote Access
Why shouldn't I set the $DISPLAY environmental variable?
When you set the $DISPLAY variable, your IP, the protocol that is being used to transfer your data over the Internet, is the X protocol used by the X Window System, which is not a secure protocol. Anyone in between you and the remote access server may see exactly what you are doing. Using X11 Tunneling sends that X session through an encrypted ssh tunnel, thus allowing the same functionality with the added security.
What applications are available through remote access?
See list of commercial applications available on Realm/Linux and Realm/Solaris. Matlab does not run well by remote access. No Windows applications can be accessed by remote access.
Why is my application running so slow when I own a fast computer?
The application is not running on your computer. It is running on the remote access server and being displayed to your local machine. If an application is running slow, it is because there is currently a high utilization of the remote access servers' resources. Always remember that the remote access servers are a shared resource.
Is there an option to turn off the annoying host key prompts?
No. See PuTTY's developer's explanation as to why there is not one.
3DES or Blowfish - Which to choose?
Ecrypt/Decrypt Speed Slow Very Fast Security Very Secure Very Secure History Triple DES has been around for years, and any security holes should have been found by now. Blowfish is fairly new (1993) and has not been as strenuously tested.
General AFS
Why did my tokens expire?
Why does my application stop working after I have been logged in a long
time?
How do I use kreset?
The default lifetime of your tokens is 10 hours. The maximum lifetime that can be set is 21 hr. 15 min. (1275 minutes). Set by using kreset -l UnityID. The -l option causes it to ask you for the lifetime of your tickets in minutes.
How do I turn on encryption in the OpenAFS client?
Type the following at the command line: fs setcrypt on
Where can I get more information about AFS?
The Guide to Eos and Unity Computing at NCSU has lots of useful information about the computing environment at NC State. It even include a page all about AFS.
Realm/Solaris and Realm/Linux Applications on Windows
Why do I need to load XWin32 every time I want to use a graphical application?
XWin32 is a PC X-Server. It is what displays graphics on your PC that utilize the X Window System. The ssh client that you use to connect to the remote-access servers is not capable of displaying X-based graphics, but it is capable of fowarding the corresponding data to the local X-Server, which in this case is XWin32.
I keep getting the same error message every time I try to connect?
Please see this page about common errors one might recieve while trying to connect.
Why do I still have problems when I re-installed XWin32 and my SSH client?
Installers for most Windows applications are very smart these days. Sometimes they are too smart. This issue is a configuration problem in XWin32 or your SSH client. When you re-install the application on top of itself, the installer sees those incorrect settings and assumes that you want to keep your settings. So re-installation is only useful in cases where the files get messed up. Un-install before re-installing.
Secure File Transfer from Windows
I keep getting the same error message every time I try to connect?
Please see this page about how to troubleshoot connection errors.
WolfCall
Why is this thing called WolfCall instead of KAUTH?
This and other questions are answered in the Wolfcall FAQ.
Other Protocols
Why is telnet not covered anywhere on this site?
Although it used to be the Internet standard for text-only remote login, telnet is slowly dropping out of favor because it has no capability for secure connections. Telnet is very insecure, and security is one of the most important topics in computing today. SSH is the recommended replacement for telnet.
Why is FTP not covered anywhere on this site?
FTP does not support encryption of packets nor secure authentication, and even though it is still the Internet standard for transferring files that do not contain sensitive data we do not and will not recommend its use. Since NC State is a research institution, it is very likely that sensitive data will be transferred over the Internet to institutions around the world. For this reason, we emphasize the use of SCP or SFTP instead of FTP.
Why is RCP not covered anywhere on this site?
RCP uses an older connection protocol, rsh, that is not supported at NC State because of the overall lack of security built into the protocol. SCP is the recommended replacement for RCP.
Why is XDMCP not covered anywhere on this site?
XDMCP is a connection method that involves using the window manager on the remote access server to manage the login session. This puts an extremely heavy load on the remote access server's hardware. Additionally, it provides no easy way to implement compression or encryption.
Wish List
How can I remotely access Realm Windows applications?
Access to certain Realm Windows applications is now available on a course-by-course basis via the Virtual Computing Lab project.
![< to Top]](../Media/graphics/footer_links/top_arrow.gif){kind=icon}
![[ ENGR Template ]](../Interface/images/banner.gif){kind=small}