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Q: What the heck are you talking about?
A: The Biology Rodent Servers are a collection of linux machines belonging to the Biology or Biochemistry Department or to labs therein. They are used as web, mail, database, and file servers. They're configured similarly, so it makes sense to have a single FAQ.
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Q: Which servers belong to whom?
A:
- squirrel - Biology Department
- chipmunk, pumpkin - steven
- hamster - Griffith Lab
- vole - Rosbash Lab
- chinchilla - Sengupta Lab
- gerbil, pika - Neliano Lab
- barrel - Miller Lab
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Q: Can I connect via telnet?
A: No. Use SSH (see below)
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Q: Can I use SSH to connect?
A: Yes, please do. Both SSH 1 and 2 are supported as of Mar 2001. Eventually we may drop SSH 1.
If you need help setting up SSH, please see:
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Q: Which version of SSH are you using?
A: openssh
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Q: Can I use FTP?
A: Yes, but you must log in as a user.
FTP is relatively insecure, avoid it if at all possible. Turning off FTP altogether is on the "to-do eventually" list.
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Q: Can I use anonymous FTP?
A: No.
Public files are available via HTTP, AppleShare, or SMB, as appropriate.
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Q: Can I use scp to copy files to and from the servers?
A: yes. For example, to move a whole directory tree from one machine to another:
scp -r karelsf@chipmunk.bio.brandeis.edu:~/newwebfiles karelsf@pumpkin.bio.brandeis.edu:/home/httpd/html
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Q: Can I use the SFTP protocol?
A: Yes. The sftp client provided with the Secure Shell for Windows client (from ssh.com) should work, as should the sftp client from openssh. Use MacSFTP from the Mac. Go to http://www.bio.brandeis.edu/ssh to find client software.
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Q: Can I use the POP protocol to retrieve my mail?
A: Yes.
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Q: can I use APOP?
A: no
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Q: Can I use POP over SSL?
A: Yes, but only on squirrel. The name on the SSL certificate is "www.bio.brandeis.edu", so you might want to type that in as the name of your POP server.
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Q: can I use IMAP to retrieve my mail?
A: yes
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Q: Can I use IMAP over SSL?
A: only on squirrel. The name on the SSL certificate is "www.bio.brandeis.edu", so you might want to type that in as the name of your IMAP server.
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Q: Can I use Windows file sharing to access the server?
A: Generally, yes. Most of them are running samba.
You will probably find it easier to specify the name of the network share using the UNC format:
\\servername\sharename\directoryname
. For example, to connect to the "PUBLIC" share on SQUIRREL, you could type the following at a command prompt:
NET USE P: \\SQUIRREL\PUBLIC
which maps drive letter P: to the network share.
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Q: Do I use the same password to use Windows file sharing?
A: Generally, no. I suppose I should move to a system more like the UNet one, but for the time being, your samba passwords are maintained separately from your linux passwords.
You can change your samba password using the command smbpasswd from a shell prompt.
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Q: Can I use appleshare over appletalk to get to my files?
A: Generally, yes. Look in the chooser in the Biology, Kalman, or CCS zones. Log in with your username and linux password.
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Q: Can I use appleshare over IP to move files?
A: Generally, yes.
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Q: Is it safe to send my password via Appleshare?
A: Most if not all these machines have a recent version of netatalk that supports encrypted authentication using "DHX".
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Q: Can you set up a server for my lab?
A: Yes. But there are a few conditions.
- Your lab is in one of the departments or programs I work for
- Your lab isn't in Rosenstiel
- You pay for the computer
- I make the security decisions about the computer
- I will not generally adopt existing setups; it's too hard to figure out what's already installed.
- If haven't run out of cool rodent names
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