Math Lab 1-2-3 (Connecting from a Windows computer off campus)

1) Connect through remote.southernct.edu
2) Start a Cygwin X session
3) Run programs
4) More information

1) Connect to remote.southernct.edu

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Click this link to remote.southernct.edu.  You may bookmark the page when it comes up for easier access in the future.

Click yes or OK to any popups that appear from this site.

Enter your Banner username and password.

Click on Client Applications.  You should see the following at this point.

Client Applications

Click the Start Session button.

Click yes or OK to any popups that may appear from this site.

You should see a window like this popup.

Session Manager

Click the Details tab.  You will get a list of resources.

Remote Session Details

If you get a list such as this, you are connected.  Take note of the IP address (number separated by three dots) next to (2) SSH:22.  You will need it.
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2)  Start a Cygwin X session

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If you do not have Cygwin installed as described in the Installing Cygwin HOW-TO, go there now and install it.  Note that this version of Cygwin IS NOT the latest and greatest.  If you install from www.cygwin.com, it may not work.  The newest version has bugs.

Start a Cygwin Bash Shell.  There are two types of connections you may wish to try.
  1. A full Desktop connection (try this first)
  2. A command line connection (try this if the full Desktop connection is too slow)
1.  To get a full Desktop connection, type the command startxdesktop.bat and hit Enter.

startxdesktop

This is what you should see, a checkered background and a command line prompt.

Cygwin X Session without window manager

Type the command ssh -X myscsu@127.0.1.11 where you should replace myscsu with your myscsu username and replace 127.0.1.11 with the IP address from the SCSU Remote Access window.

Type yes and hit enter when you are asked if you are sure you want to continue connecting.

Enter your password when you are prompted.

You should get a login message from the remote computer that looks something like this.

Guass login message

Type startkde and hit enter.

The KDE Desktop should start up just as it does when you are sitting in the math lab and you login.  Go to step 3).

2. To get a command line connection, type the command startxterm.bat and hit Enter.

startxterm

This is what you should see, an X terminal window.



Type the command ssh -X myscsu@127.0.1.11 where you should replace myscsu with your myscsu username and replace 127.0.1.11 with the IP address from the SCSU Remote Access window.

Type yes and hit enter when you are asked if you are sure you want to continue connecting.

Enter your password when you are prompted.

You should get a login message from the remote computer that looks something like this.

Gauss login message
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3)  Run programs!

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1.  If you started a full desktop connection, you should see the same desktop you do when you are sitting in the math lab.  You know what to do!

2.  If you started a command line connection, type the name of any program located on the Math Lab Linux machines, followed by a space and an ampersand, such as xmaple &, and hit Enter.  The program should start up in its own window.  Here are some common programs you may want to run.

Command*
 Starts
 Program is a/n
 Windows Equivalent
konqueror &
 Konqueror **
 File browser
 Windows Explorer
ooffice &
 OpenOffice.org
 Office suite
 Microsoft Office
mozilla-firefox &
 Firefox
 Web browser
 Internet Explorer
mozilla-thunderbird &
 Thunderbird
 Email reader
 Eudora
kate &
 Kate
 Text editor
 Notepad
lyx &
 LyX
 Text document typesetter
 LyX
kcalc &
 KCalc
 Calculator
 Calculator
xmaple &
 Maple
 Computer Algebra System
 Maple
matlab & Matlab
 Computer Algebra System
 Matlab
texmacs & TeXmacs Text document typesetter and
computer algebra system front end

* To find more commands, when you are in the math lab, right-click any icon and select Properties.  Then click the Application tab.  Look at the Command: text box.  This is the command that will start the program.  Just type this into your xterminal to start the program.  Also, many times you will see a full path name in the Command box, like /usr/bin/kedit.  You do not need to type the whole thing in your xterminal, just kedit &.

** hit F9 to get the navigation panel after the program starts up.  Then use the icons in the navigation panel to find what you need.  For example, the house icon brings you to your home directory.  If you prefer, you can use the command kfmclient openProfile filemanagement & to start up Konqueror.  This will begin the session with the navigation panel already up.
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4)  More information

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You can get more information about Cygwin at:
http://www.cygwin.com/
You can get more information about secure shell (ssh) at:
http://www.openssh.com
http://www.ssh.com
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Please send any questions or comments to BrinL1@southernct.edu