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Windows resources
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Secure Connections

PuTTY is a lightweight SSH client for Windows. Use it if you need access to a text console on gauss (or any other machine where you can login via SSH). Download from www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty, or search the Web for PuTTY, in case the URL has changed.

WinSCP is a GUI program for secure connections. Its important feature is a built-in text editor, capable of editing files on a remote Linux/UNIX system (without wreacking havoc with line endings). Files you may want to edit are .procmailrc (mail filtering/forwarding), .vacation.msg (vacation autoreply message), web site files in public_html etc. Download WinSCP from winscp.net. Choose Explorer interface option while installing. Upon connection, navigate to folder/file of interest, right-click on it, choose Edit, make necessary changes, Save (floppy disk icon).

Cygwin is a UNIX-like environment for Windows. It provides an impressive range of traditional open source GNU software: from cat, cp, tar and rsync to compilers, PERL, TeX/LaTeX and X Window graphical system. Cygwin comes with a GUI setup.exe utility, which lets you select what packages should be installed (or added later). SSH is provided in 'openssh' package. Cygwin home.

Filezilla is a GUI program for secure file transfers. Download from filezilla-project.org, install and lauch the program. Choose File → Site Manager → New Site. Configure SFTP connection to gauss:

Host: math.dartmouth.edu
Servertype: SFTP - SSH File Transfer Protocol
Logontype: Ask for password
User: your username on gauss

Click OK to save configuration or Connect to save and connect at once.

VPN

Dartmouth VPN

Dartmouth currently supports the GlobalProtect VPN client by Palo Alto Networks. See installation instructions for Windows.

Math VPN

Math VPN uses OpenVPN technology.

  1. Download executable OpenVPN Windows Installer from openvpn.net → Community → Downloads.
  2. Start downloaded installer and proceed accepting all the defaults.
  3. Download DigiCert root certificate DigiCertCAroot.pem.
  4. Download Math VPN configuration file mathvpn.ovpn
  5. Move DigiCertCAroot.pem and mathvpn.ovpn to “C:\Program Files\OpenVPN\config” folder.
  6. Start OpenVPN GUI by right-clicking on Applications → OpenVPN → OpenVPN GUI and choosing Run as administrator.
  7. Right-click on the red OpenVPN-GUI icon in your taskbar and choose Connect. You will be prompted for username and password — use your Math (“gauss”) username and password. If Math VPN has been successfully created, red icon will turn into green.
  8. You can check whether your PC is indeed using the MathVPN by going to, for example, http://www.whatismyip.com. Your IP address should be reported as 129.170.28.37.
  9. To stop using VPN, right-click on the taskbar icon and select Disconnect.

Math Email

If you have Math Dept. user account (also known as “gauss” account), you also have a corresponding email account. Your Math email arrives at (and can be sent from) math.dartmouth.edu server. It can be accessed instantly and globally via Webmail — this does not require any configuration! As for email applications, all of them, including mobile, can be configured to use your Math account using these generic settings:

Below are step-by-step instructions on how to add your mathusername@math.dartmouth.edu account to Thunderbird and Outlook. Please use plain text to write email whenever possible (useplaintext.email), thank You!

Thunderbird

  1. Tools → Account Settings… → Account Actions → Add Mail Account…
    Your name: Your real name
    Email address: mathusername@math.dartmouth.edu
    Password: password for the above
    Continue — Thunderbird will probe servers and should detect correct connection settings:
              Incoming: math.dartmouth.edu  IMAP  143  STARTTLS
          Outgoing: math.dartmouth.edu  SMTP  587  STARTTLS
    If settings were detected correctly — click Create Account.
    Otherwise click Manual Setup and enter correct settings under Server Settings and Outgoing Server (SMTP).
  2. Tools → Account Settings…
    Server Settings: Advanced: IMAP server directory: mail
    Composition & Addressing: Uncheck “Compose messages in HTML format”.

Vacation Autoreply

  1. Start WinSCP. Connect to gauss using Math username and password.
  2. Edit autoreply message text:
    • Find .vacation.msg (viewing hidden files must be enabled, Ctrl+Alt+h)
    • Right-click on it, choose Edit, make any changes, save, close editor window.
  3. Enable autoreply:
    • Find .procmailrc
    • Right-click on it, choose Edit, find these two lines:
      #:0c
      #|/usr/bin/vacation username
    • Remove any leading # characters from both lines, save, close editor window.
  4. Send an email to yourself from another mail account as a test.
  5. To disable autoreply, edit .procmailrc and comment out the two lines by putting back # characters at the beginning of each line.

Backing up Your Files

Ask Laurie Johnson in 102B about backing up your Mac or Windows.

Making X Connections to Linux Machines

We recommend using Cygwin/X. Cygwin installer can be downloaded from cygwin.com. After installation is complete, run Cygwin Terminal and then start X by giving a startxwin command. Wait for the (green) “X Applications” icon to appear on your Windows taskbar. The icon gives access to Cygwin/X apps and settings. If the application you are seeking is not listed, you still might be able to run it by first starting XTerm and the running your app from there by typing its name.

To run an X application on a remote Linux machine, e.g. gauss, while in XTerm type: 

    ssh -X username@gauss program_name

Use XLaunch for shortcuts to X applications, local and remote

“XLaunch is a wizard to make starting X server sessions easy.” It's part of Cygwin/X.

Make a shortcut to start XTerm locally
Start XLaunch and choose the following settings:
Multiple windows (Next)
Start program (Next)
Start program on this computer
Local program: xterm
(Next, Next)
Save configuration.

Configuration will be saved to an .xlauch file. Clicking on it will invoke X program according to settings. To change any of these settings use Right-click then Edit. Windows doesn't allow to change the icon associated with .xlaunch (not in the easy way). .xlaunch file can be put anywhere in a file system and then a shortcut can be created on Desktop. Shortcut's icon can be changed easily.

Make a shortcut to start XTerm (or any other program) on gauss
Start XLaunch and choose the following settings:
Multiple windows (Next)
Start program (Next)
Start program on remote computer
Connect using: ssh
Remote program: xterm (or any other program on gauss)
Connect to computer: math.dartmouth.edu
Login as user: your_gauss_username
OFF - Use keychain
ON - Prompt for SSH password [1,2]
XLaunch screenshot
(Next, Next) Save configuration.

Configuration will be saved to an .xlauch file. Clicking on it will invoke X conenction according to settings. To change any of these settings use Right-click then Edit. Windows doesn't allow to change the icon associated with .xlaunch (not in the easy way). .xlaunch file can be put anywhere in a file system and then a shortcut can be created on Desktop. Shortcut's icon can be changed easily.

Footnote 1.
Authentication can also be done using public/secret SSH key pair. In such a case, uncheck “Prompt for SSH password” option.

Footnote 2.
~/.ssh directory is in C:\cygwin64\home\youruser. This is where SSH keys and any SSH configuration settings will be. From the Cygwin terminal it's the usual /home/youruser/.ssh/. Keys can be generated with the usual ssh-keygen.

PostScript

If you really want to view PostScript files on Windows, then you will have to install Ghostscript and Ghostview. The main site is here.