General SSH
Troubleshooting SSH2
- My password is right, why can't I log in?
- Why do my menus or screens look wrong?
- Why are there letters in a box around my menu instead of lines?
- Why aren't my function keys working?
- What happened to my print screen?
Tip and Tricks
- How can I change the font?
- How can I change the colors?
- How can I change the window size?
- What's the best way to open another session?
- How should I close my session?
- How can I login without entering my username every time?
- How do I copy and paste in SSH2?
If your question is not answered here, please contact the HelpDesk, at x6-8885
General SSH
1. What is SSH?
SSH stand for Secure Shell. It is the name of the secure protocol used to communicate between your machine and the host, in this case, abacus. The new SSH2 Client software you are using is an implementation of the most recent version of the SSH protocol.
TeraTerm uses the SSH1 protocol, not SSH2. SSH1 has known vulnerabilities which allow people to get your password even though it is an encrypted protocol. Because SSH1 is no longer being developed or supported, these vulnerabilities will never be fixed. This also makes it increasingly difficult for us to support SSH1 on abacus.
Also, the SSH2 Client software is already being used at Calvin for other applications, so by using it, we reduce the number of programs that have to be installed on every machine on campus.
Troubleshooting the SSH2 Client
3. My password is right, why can't I log in?
The SSH2 protocol is stricter than TeraTerm about password requirements. If you cannot log in to the SSH2 Client, you may need to have your number of failed logins attempts reset by the helpdesk. If your password is more than a year old, you may be asked to change your password.
4. Why do my menus or screens look wrong?
Make sure you are using one of the shortcuts in the Abacus folder on your desktop, NOT the Secure Shell Client shortcut. Only the Abacus shortcuts will open a window that is the right size for using Colleague or Benefactor. For some people, the Abacus shortcuts are just slightly too small. To fix this, see How can I change the window size? below. After making the window larger and choosing Save Layout, use Ctrl-L to redraw the Colleague or Benefactor screen.
5. Why are there letters in a box around my menu instead of lines?
When the SSH2 Client is installed, the correct font is not always installed correctly. Go to your Start Menu and choose Settings, Control Panel, Fonts. Find sshlinedraw or sshlined.ttf and drag it out of the Fonts folder and onto your desktop. Then drag it back into the Fonts folder. This will correctly install the sshlinedraw font.
6. Why aren't my function keys working?
Like TeraTerm, the SSH2 Client needs a special definition file to tell it how the abacus function keys are supposed to work. First, make sure you are using one of the shortcuts in the Abacus folder on your desktop, NOT the Secure Shell Client shortcut. To make sure that file is set up correctly select Edit > Settings. Under Profile Settings, click on Keyboard. On the right, at the top there is a place to set up a User Defined Keymap File. That file should be
C:\Program Files\SSH Communications Security\SSH Secure Shell\aba.sshmap
7. What happened to my print screen?
Unlike TeraTerm, when you click Print in the SSH2 Client, it prints everything in your session history, not just what currently shows up in the window. To print only the current screen, select the text you want to print with your mouse and then click the print button. You can also use the Print Screen button on your keyboard. Otherwise, you can copy and paste the screen into Word, Notepad, or Word Pad and print it from there.
Tips and Tricks
8. How can I change the font?
From the menu, select Edit > Settings. About halfway down the page you should see Font under Global Settings - Appearance. When you click on Font, you should see a list of fonts for you to choose from, and also a list of sizes so you can make the font larger or smaller. When you are done make sure you select File > Save Settings otherwise you will have the change the font again the next time you start a new session.
9. How can I change the colors?
From the menu, select Edit > Settings. Toward the top there is a Colors option under Profile Settings. When you click on Colors you should see and be able to change the colors that are used in the current profile. The colors will only change for the profile you are using. So, if you are using the abacusRed profile, the colors will only be changed for abacusRed. When you are done, make sure you select File > Save Settings; otherwise you will have to change the colors again the next time you start a new session.
10. How can I change the window size?
Drag the edges of the window to make them the size you want. Then from the menu, select File > Save Layout. The next time you open a new session, the window will be the new size.
11. What's the best way to open another session?
In every SSH2 Client window, there is a Profiles button with a folder icon. When you click on that button, you will see a list of available profiles, which include all the abacus shortcuts. Simply click on the name, like abacusRed or abacusBlue and it will open another window for you to log in.
12. How should I close my session?
When you log out of abacus using the SSH2 Client, the window stays open even though you are disconnected. If you are not connected to abacus, the gray bar at the very bottom of the window will display Not connected - press Enter or Space to connect; then it is safe to close the window, either using the 'X' at the top right, or by selecting File > Exit.
13. How can I log in without entering my username every time?
One of the features of the SSH2 Client is that you can set up a profile so it already knows who you are when you try to login, so you only ever need to enter your password. To make this work, click the Profiles button at the top of the SSH2 Client window and select Edit Profiles. You will see a list of your profiles, like abacusRed and abacusBlue. Click the profile you want to use in the right hand list. In the Username field, change the * to your login. The next time you use that profile, you will not be prompted for your username.
14. How do I copy and paste in the SSH2 Client?
Copying and pasting text to and from the SSH2 Client should work the same as it did in TeraTerm. To copy text from the SSH2 Client, select the text with your left mouse button. To paste into the SSH2 Client, simply right click with your mouse.
To make sure these options are turned on in the SSH2 Client, from the menu, select Edit > Settings. Under Global Settings click on Appearance. Make sure Paste on right mouse click is checked under Terminal Settings.
