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Re: [LUG] Security and SSH

 
On Sat, 22 Jan 2011, Neil Winchurst wrote:


On 22/01/11 09:11, Philip Hudson wrote:

On 22 Jan, 2011, at 8:54 am, Neil Winchurst wrote:


further research has suggested to me that what I really need is to set
up SFTP or something similar. I use my website to store a few
important (to me) files as a sort of backup. So I use FTP (via FireFTP
on Firefox) to copy those files over when there is any change to them.

I think that it would be safer to use some sort of encryption when I
copy those files and SFTP came up.

Have I got that right?



Absolutely.

The recipe remains the same. SFTP is a "subsystem" which piggy-backs on
top of ssh.

First step is to install and configure sshd on the server.


I take it that by 'server' you mean my website?


Probably.


Second step is to install and configure ssh on the client.


And by client you mean my home computer?
The computer you're connecting in from. It's it's linux then most distros have ssh as standard. If your home computer is running MS something, the look for a program called PuTTY. 


Third step is to generate your keys on the client.
I use cPanel on my website which is in effect for administration. It includes SSH/Shell Access which seems to be there to manage SSH keys. 

You do not need to do this to get started.
There is also SSL/TLS Manager which seems to be about private keys and certificates.
All this seems to be about setting up stuff on the web site (server??). What about my home computer setup?
I get cross with myself for getting so lost in all this. I have worked with computers for years, I have done quite a lot of programming and I have set up databases for small companies. And yet here I am, stuck with something that should be straightforward. Old age strikes again!!
Philip's making it seem more complicated. Really, using ssh with a username and password is no different from using FTP, Telnet, rsh, etc. Once you have the basic interactive login working, then you can wory about keys, etc. 

Gordon

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