Instructions

Setting up an openSSH tunnel for wIntegrate

Install putty on your PC

Create a windows directory to hold the putty programs - e.g. Program Files\putty

download putty.exe, puttygen, and pscp and place in the new directory - get them all here.

Generate session keys

You'll need to generate two keys - a public key and a private key. These are the keys that are used to create an encrypted session with your Unix host.
To do this, run the puttygen program. It'll look something like this:

Follow these steps to create the key, and refer to the picture above -

Select the SSH2RSA key - this is the most secure

Click on the Generate button. This will prompt you to move your mouse around in a box to generate some random key-generating noise. I let my kids do this one.

Make sure to put in a passphrase. If you don't your private key can be stolen. I don't let my kids do this one. You'll have to put in the passphrase twice, like when you change your password.

Save the keys. I put them in the putty directory, and name them rsa_key.pub and rsa_key.pri.

Create an authorized_keys file on the Unix Host

The next step is to make it so that you are allowed to log into admin from your PC. To do this, you will need to put a copy of your public key into a file called authorized_keys, in a directory called .ssh in your home directory.

Log into your Unix Host
mkdir .ssh (that's dot-s-s-h)
cd .ssh
vi authorized_keys

type in "i" to get into insert mode
copy and paste all of the text (looks like garbage) in the box labeled "Public key for pasting ..." into the vi session
hit the ESC key to get out of insert mode
type in "ZZ" to quit and save the file

Set up a tunnel in putty

A tunnel is a path used by applications that don't know how to encrypt data. The two applications in this case are wIntegrate, which is a telnet client, and telnetd, which is the telnet server on the ither side of wIntegrate's network connection.

To dig a tunnel, first appropriate 2 billion dollars and ring up an additional 13 billion in overruns - wait, that's the Big Dig - our tunnel is a BUNCH easier than that ....

Run putty

a.) Select Tunnel from the left hand box
b.) Make sure that Local is selected (it should be the default)
c.) Use source port 4000
d.) Destination is your.unix.host.edu:23
e.) After you click the Add button, the text "L4000 your.unix.host.edu:23" should appear in the forwarded ports box.

f.) Click session to continue the connection setup
g.) Select the SSH button
h.) Enter your.unix.host.edu as the host name
i. ) In the Saved Sessions box, enter the name that you'll use to reference this connection
j. ) Press the Save button. After the session is saved, you can recall it at any time by double-clicking on the saved name, or by using the L oad button.

k. ) Press the Open button, and log into admin using your normal login/password - which will be passed as encrypted values - the tunnel is opened for business!

Note: Before you log in, a key will be transferred from admin to your PC. This will only happen the first time you connect, and any other time that the key is changed (by an administrator) on the unix host. A dialog box will pop up asking you to confirm the transfer, just press the Yes button.

The diagram below illustrates what has happened after you log in - a tunnel has been established between port 4000 on your pc and the telnet daemon on admin. All that remains is to run wIntegrate, pointing it to the local (PC) end of the tunnel -

Time to run wIntegrate - bring up your normal session and:

Click on Setup->Communications

A dialog will appear with "Windows Sockets" already selected - press the Setup button.

In the text box labelled Host, enter the IP address 127.1 - this will point wIntegrate to your PC.

Select the Advanced tab in the same box, and set the Port number to 4000.

Hit OK a couple of times to get to a login - that's it! You're done!

It's probably a good idea to save this wIntegrate session, use a name like myUnixHostTunnel or something so that it's easy to remember.