• Secure Connections
• VPN
• Math Email
• Vacation Autoreply
• Backups
• X Window Connections
• PostScript

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 currently uses GlobalProtect VPN. See VPN in ITC knowledge base.

Math VPN uses OpenVPN technology. Search for and install OpenVPN client app for your device (available for Android, Chrome OS, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows). Download MathVPN.ovpn configuration file. Use your OpenVPN app to add a new VPN configuration by importing the downloaded MathVPN.ovpn. There is no need to provide a certificate in VPN configuration.

When starting MathVPN connection use your “gauss” login credentials.

If the app doesn't offer a way to import configuration files, here are MathVPN parameters for manual configuration:

VPN type: OpenVPN
Gateway or portal: 129.170.28.58
Authentication: use your “gauss” username and password

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:

Incoming server: math.dartmouth.edu, type: IMAP, port: 993
Connection type/encryption: TLS
Username: your Math username
Password: for the username above
Outgoing/SMTP server: math.dartmouth.edu, port: 465, protocol: TLS; authenticate with Math username and password.

Please use plain text to write email whenever possible (useplaintext.email), thank You!

Darmouth Name Directory lookups in Thunderbird

Edit → Preferences → Composition → Addressing
Click Edit Directories, Add:

General tab:
Name: Dartmouth Directory
Hostname: kiewit.dartmouth.edu
Base DN: dc=kiewit,dc=dartmouth,dc=edu
Port number: 636
Bind DN: your_netid@kiewit.dartmouth.edu
Use secure connection (SSL): yes

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

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 (provided by Cygwin xinit package). 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 then 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 -Y 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]

(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.