Accessing The Online UNIX Server

Student Accounts

Student accounts for ground and online classes are created by the IT Helpdesk to permit access to the Unix server and Oracle application, permitting students to complete lab assignments. The IT Helpdesk sends a copy of the accounts to the Campus Dean, Academic Assistant, and LRC Manager at the beginning of the quarter. The Campus Dean, Academic Assistant,and the LRC Manager are responsible for providing a copy of the accounts to the professor teaching thecourse(s). Accounts for Online students are sent to the professor for distribution to their students.

For Windows users, Strayer University requires that an SSH client, such as PuTTy, be used to access the Unix server. Putty is installed on the lab PC’s at all campuses. Students who would like to access the Unix server from their personal PC’s can download Putty.exe from the following web site.

For students who use an Apple computer or a Linux/Unix based OS, a separate SSH client is not required. Simply open a terminal window and enter the following command at the prompt (you will need to substitute [username] with the account userid provided by your professor:

ssh [username]@unix-online.strayer.edu

Once your computer makes the connection with the Strayer Unix server, you will be asked for your password. Once the password has been accepted, you will be logged into the system.

For those students that are taking an Oracle class, access to Oracle is available via the online Unix server at unix-online.strayer.edu.

Both the Unix server for CIS-111 and CIS-155, as well as the Oracle application for Oracle classes, is a command line application. You must pay particular attention when entering commands as all commands are case sensitive. There is no graphical interface available for these classes.

For those students who are using an Apple computer or Linux/Unix based OS, please skip to paragraph 8. Students using all versions of Windows please start with the information on the following pages to configure your PuTTy SSH Client.

PuTTy is a very robust application with many features, only a few are highlighted here to get you started. As you will undoubtedly be exposed to various platforms in your IT career, PuTTy will be a very useful element in your IT Toolkit.

Below are instructions on accessing and configuring the PuTTy client.

  1. Click on Start-> Programs -> Putty.

  1. When the Putty window opens, in the field for the Host Name type unix-online.strayer.edu. Ensure the Port is set to 22, the radio button in set for SSH. You should also enter a name in the Saved Sessions box to be saved for later use. Place the radio button next to Only on clean exit at the bottom of the dialog box

  1. In the Category area on the left select Window. In the Columns box on the right enter 120 and in the Rows box enter 60. This will set the initial window size when opening the terminal window. Under Lines of scrollback, enter 20000 and check remaining boxes as shown.

  1. Under Categories\Window select Colours. In the Options area scroll down to select ANSI Blue then select Modify. As Blue on Black can be hard to read, choose a high contrast color such as Yellow and select OK.
  1. The last thing to do is to ensure that your session name is entered in to the Saved Sessions box, then select Save. This saves your session for future use. You can then select open to start the session. If this is the first time that a session has been opened for this server on the computer you are using, you should see the following alert appear. This is to notify you that the servers host key is not stored in memory and is a check to be sure you have entered the correct address information to connect to the correct server. The alert will look as follows and the fingerprint key will remain the same so you can ensure you are connected to the correct server should you use a different computer next time you connect. If you are confident you entered the information correctly, select Yes to store the key in memory, otherwise select Cancel to verify you entered the correct address.

  1. If you selected Yes, or No for a one time login, alogin prompt will then appear. At the login prompt enter the UNIX ID and password provided by your instructor.

  1. You are now ready to begin your lab sessions.