Linux Remote Shell Access

• Install cygwin on your windows machine, http://cygwin.com/setup.exe
• Choose to save your downloads to somewhere outside your profile, e.g. c:\cygwin\downloads
• Make sure you select all of the X11 packages and Openssl + Openssh from the Net section
• Once installed run cygwin from c:\cygwin\usr\X11R6\bin\startxwin.bat, this will open and xterm console
• Close it down, then place the following script in c:\cygwin\bin

#!/bin/bash
#Filename: ares (no extension)
case $USER in
	KJW)	username="kieran";;
	BMH)	username="barbara";;
	LMV)	username="luis";;
	MLB)	username="martin";;
	DJR)	username="david";;
	*)	echo
		echo "  User account not configured, seek revenge from your admin ;-)"
		echo "    (o_"
		echo "    (\)_"
		echo
		exit 1;;
esac
xhost ares.varndean.ac.uk
/bin/ssh -l $username -Y ares.varndean.ac.uk -C

• Add the following line to the end of c:\cygwin\home\<user name>\.bashrc

exec /bin/ares

• Now when you next run cygwin you will be taken directly to ares and asked for your linux user password
• GUI applications you run will be displayed on your windows pc

Note

• If you change user (eg change to root, you will nolonger be able to run GUI programs. There probably isn't anything GUI based that you actually need (or should) run as root
• If you close your console window any GUI programs you have open will also close!!