I posted on my Twitter account this past Friday that I had accomplished a pretty geeky thing. Here is the exact post and a question, just below, on how to set it up:
In response to @larryfretz on Twitter, it is really quite simple. I’m a Linux Mint fan and even though I have been using Linux for about 10 years I still consider myself a newbie. So, I had to find a guide to assist me in installing and configuring SSH on my Mint 10 machine since it is not installed and configured by default. I did a Google search and found this very useful and easy to follow guide:
Basic SSH Setup On Linux Mint 10 Using OpenSSH Server
To keep my LAN at home relatively secure, I decided to change the TCP port from 22 to something else in the SSH config file. Using the standard list of ports at Wikipedia listing I chose a port that is not a standard used port by the IANA. The router that I use at home is the Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station. I simply setup a NAT to point to my Linux Mint machine on that particular TCP port configured in the SSH config file. Once I got that configured I downloaded ConnectBot from the Android Market to my Motorola Droid 1 to use for the SSH connection to my Linux Mint machine remotely. It really is that simple.
A few things to note: Make sure you have a really good password for the account you use on your Linux machine for the SSH connection and that you change it regularly. Also, for those interested, I would not recommend the Apple Airport Extreme Base Station for a router. It’s not that I’ve had issues with it (except for once when I completed a firmware update from Apple that had a bug in it and had to revert back to the previous firmware) or that it is not secure, I just think there are other wireless N routers out there that are less expensive and can be just as reliable and secure – I’m actually considering selling my AirPort Extreme and finding something newer. Also, I don’t know if this is standard on all home routers these days but every time I make a change on my Apple Airport router it requires a reboot, which is REALLY annoying as everyone at home loses connection for about 2 minutes.
If you have any comments or additional tips on this please post below. If you have any questions you can email me directly from the Contact page of this blog or just post them in the comments also.
Ordinary Man 