# Server name broadcast



## Deleted member 9563 (Oct 27, 2010)

I've been telnetting into several FreeBSD boxes here at home. The machine I'm working from is currently running Linux and I find it very convenient to just keep open a stack of xterminals which I can cycle through or otherwise view. What is a bit irritating is that the machines which run BSD do not identify themselves by name. How can I get them to do that?

(Sorry if this is covered elsewhere, but I don't really know what to search for.)


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## wblock@ (Oct 27, 2010)

Don't use telnet(1), use ssh(1).  Seriously.

As far as server names, the default .cshrc does show hostname(1) in the prompt.  If you're not using csh(1), do the equivalent thing for whatever shell you are using.


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## Deleted member 9563 (Oct 27, 2010)

Thanks for answering, but I think you misunderstood (or I did). The server name I'm talking about is not in the prompt but in the Konsole (KDE) header bar. It is only the BSD machines which don't identify themselves. The Linux machines do. For example if I telnet into CDY (a local laptop running Debian) the window top bar says "*eileen@CDY:~-Shell - Konsole*" and if go to CDX then the bar says  "*eileen@CDY:~-Shell - Konsole*" (or whoever I log in as). It looks as if the machine that I log into is sending this information and it is not being generated by the xterminal. Perhaps I'm wrong.

PS: Regarding telnet, thanks for your concern, but I'm in the country and the internet is set up quite differently here than it is in the cities. Thousands of people have the same public IP and you have to go through about 5 different NAT routers to get to my home network.  I do have SSH enabled but it doesn't like the password (which I'm 100% sure of) so I guess I need to read up on the complexities of SSH. Anyway, there is good reason to use telnet in some instances. I use multiple OSs here, and not all have SSH servers, or even clients. We can have that discussion another time.


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## wblock@ (Oct 27, 2010)

OJ said:
			
		

> Thanks for answering, but I think you misunderstood (or I did). The server name I'm talking about is not in the prompt but in the Konsole (KDE) header bar. It is only the BSD machines which don't identify themselves. The Linux machines do. For example if I telnet into CDY (a local laptop running Debian) the window top bar says "*eileen@CDY:~-Shell - Konsole*" and if go to CDX then the bar says  "*eileen@CDY:~-Shell - Konsole*" (or whoever I log in as). It looks as if the machine that I log into is sending this information and it is not being generated by the xterminal. Perhaps I'm wrong.



The window title is set by escape codes in the prompt.  Check the Linux systems.

PS: being in the country doesn't matter.  That rooted Windows system (more are than aren't) sends from inside your NAT network, and Timmy the hacker will appreciate that your passwords are in cleartext.


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## Deleted member 9563 (Oct 27, 2010)

Thanks *wblock*. The name "window title" is what I couldn't come up with. (I'm not too good with the GUI thing) Now I know what to search for.  Funny that different servers elicit different titles, but I'll check out the Xterm configuration (~/.Xdefaults) and see if I can figure out the syntax. Anyway, hopefully one of these days all my modern machines will be running BSD. I'm here asking all these questions because I hope to migrate. 

PS: I'm not sure that a rooted Windows machine could get through 2 routers, which is what it would take to get here from the rest of town, but perhaps you're right. I know everybody in these parts and there isn't one who knows the difference between IE and an OS.  Anyway, wouldn't they get a surprise to end up with the password to some 1980's box running an OS that they've too young to have heard of. lol

For BSD, I plan to start using SSH, it's just that I haven't figured it out yet. The new FreeBSD box refuses my password. The Linux boxes run telnet-ssl. That's very handy with mixed machines and vintage operating systems being involved because passwords are encrypted but it will still run regular telnet when needed for old machines. The difference is invisible to the user.


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## Savagedlight (Oct 27, 2010)

I take it you're trying to login as root.
Don't ever do that.
Add an user whom is part of the "wheel" group. Login as that user, then su to root.


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## Deleted member 9563 (Oct 27, 2010)

Savagedlight said:
			
		

> I take it you're trying to login as root.
> Don't ever do that.
> Add an user whom is part of the "wheel" group. Login as that user, then su to root.



Thanks for the warning, that's how I do it too.  I'm assuming you're referring to SSH log in. When I type "SSH servername" it does not ask me for login - only password. Then it won't take the password. I'm guessing it wants the login name as part of the command like in good old pre-windows DOS (ssh login address), but a quick look at the man page and the net has not yet revealed the magic combination. There's a lot to know about BSD, but it's still better than Linux for an amateur like me because it doesn't seem to change weekly. (That's why I'm in the process of changing.)


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## SirDice (Oct 27, 2010)

OJ said:
			
		

> When I type "SSH servername" it does not ask me for login - only password.


It will use the same username as on the machine you are ssh'ing from.



> I'm guessing it wants the login name as part of the command like in good old pre-windows DOS (ssh login address), but a quick look at the man page and the net has not yet revealed the magic combination.


`% ssh [email]username@some.server[/email]`


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## Deleted member 9563 (Oct 27, 2010)

SirDice said:
			
		

> `% ssh [email]username@some.server[/email]`



I just tried it and it works. Thanks!


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