HowTo Manage your Linux PC from an External Machine Through the Net?

Think that you need to control whats going on in your Linux Desktop or the Linux Server from a remote location?  What will you do? Well if I want to get complete access, what I will do is, connect to my PC or Server through SSH! Want to learn how to do it? Its very easy!

First of all, lets see what is SSH (Secure Shell). I think Wikipedia can do a better job in explaining this than me :

Secure Shell or SSH is a network protocol that allows data to be exchanged using a secure channel between two networked devices. Used primarily on GNU/Linux and Unix based systems to access shell accounts.

SSH is typically used to log into a remote machine and execute commands, but it also supports tunneling, forwarding TCP ports and X11 connections; it can transfer files using the associated SFTP or SCP protocols.

-Wikipedia

In short, SSH is a protocol which will allow us to transfer data between two devices in a secured manner! If you want to control and manage a server, this is the preferred way! But it can also be used for a desktop! Less see how to do this :

1) First, Install the SSH server :

In Ubuntu :

• Open the terminal (Applications > Accessories > Terminal) and issue the following command :

sudo apt-get install ssh

In Suse :

• Open the terminal (Computer > Applications (Tab) > More Applications, in there, under System, Gnome Terminal) and issue the following commands:

To enter the root terminal :

su

Install ssh :

zypper install openssh

Note : Normally, SSH is already installed on Suse!

• In Suse, we need to open the SSH port in the firewall. To do that, go to Computer > Yast, Under “Security and Users” > Firewall.
• Now, go to “Allowed Services” and select “Secure Shell Server”  under “Service to allow” and click on “Add”. After that, click “Next” > ” Finish”

2) To connect from a remote system :

• If your remote system does not have SSH, you can use the above commands to install SSH!
• If your remote system is Linux, open the terminal and issue the following command :

ssh <username>@<ip>

Note :

- <username> is the username of your system! Which your going to get connected to!

- is the IP address of your PC which your going to get connected to! (To get the ip, you can use the command “ifconfig” on the PC which your going to get connected)

• After issuing the above commands, they’ll ask you something like this :

The authenticity of host ’192.168.1.6 (192.168.1.6)’ can’t be established.
RSA key fingerprint is 87:bd:d5:54:79:24:9c:1b:7c:24:2f:9f:30:8e:5e:f4.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)

• If they ask this, enter “yes”
• Now, they’ll ask you the password of the PC which your going to get connected to. Give the password correctly and hit enter.
• If your using Windows, download and install PuTTY http://the.earth.li/~sgtatham/putty/latest/x86/putty.exe and execute the above commands to connect.
• Congratulations! Now your inside your System! Enter any command in your terminal and it will be executed in your System which is located in a remote location!
• After your done, you can enter “exit” or “logout” to close the connection.