Screen, yes... Telnet? You've got to be kidding me!

Story: Screen – Manages multiple sessions on one terminalTotal Replies: 8
Author Content
caitlyn

Jun 15, 2009
6:33 PM EDT
Screen is a vital tool for the systems administrator. The author barely mentions the most powerful and important aspect of screen: I can be connected to any number of servers, start a task, detatch from the task, and the task keeps running. I can reattach later and see the results or the progress and intervene if needed. I can attach and detatch as often as I like. So long as I use the same login (same user name) I can reattach from a different location as well, i.e.: start a job at the office and pick it up at home.

I can't believe the author used telnet as an example in this day and age. Don't people understand that telnet passes the username and password in clear text? It's an archaic security nightmare that should have been replaced by ssh everywhere years ago. I am amazed it still lingers on.

Great app -- decidedly mediocre article.
Steven_Rosenber

Jun 15, 2009
7:28 PM EDT
I have a sweet HP thin client I picked up for $10. It does TCP/IP into a terminal, but I don't think there's any SSH ... so it's for the local network only.
techiem2

Jun 15, 2009
7:30 PM EDT
Lol yeah. I didn't think anyone still used telnet other than for managing routers and such that don't have ssh. As for screen, I don't know what I'd do without it. I live in a screen session with typically 5 or more terminals running in it. And of course it's great since I just detach it before I leave home and then pull it up when I ssh into home from work. :)
tracyanne

Jun 15, 2009
10:38 PM EDT
Telnet is used to communicate with our Cisco Router.... on a Windows network that doubly not safe.
gus3

Jun 15, 2009
10:43 PM EDT
Good grief. The only product development I ever did that used clear-text communication was an embedded server with a serial console. If it wasn't on the serial port, it was encrypted, absolutely, not negotiable, period, end of discussion.
caitlyn

Jun 15, 2009
10:47 PM EDT
I am frequently amazed about how clueless the corporate world is about even the basics of security. This article, using telnet as an example, helps perpetuate the cluelessness among the less informed in the Linux community.
azerthoth

Jun 15, 2009
11:01 PM EDT
I noticed 2 things, 1: someone read him the riot act, it now says ssh ... second he's using putty on what I assume to be Windows. Check the decoration in the upper left of one of the screenies.
caitlyn

Jun 15, 2009
11:08 PM EDT
I wonder who "read him the riot act". Oh yeah, that would be me.

I also notice that my comment is still in moderation. I wonder if he'll publish it. Hmmm... probably not.

EDIT: I just refreshed my browser and at least here it still says "telnetted". I checked in a different browser just in case Firefox was reloading the cached page against my will. Nope, still says "telnetted".
azerthoth

Jun 16, 2009
6:03 AM EDT
Not trusting my eyes I used the word search, still cant find telnet. Well, I did find it, but that was in your comment caitlyn, so he did change it and he did publish your comment. So it seems your message got through in both meanings of the phrase.

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