telnet

Someone once stated that telnet(1) was the coolest thing he had ever seen on computers. The ability to remotely log in and do stuff on another computer is what seperates Unix and Unix-like operating systems from other operating systems.

telnet allows you to log in to a computer, just as if you were sitting at the terminal. Once your username and password are verified, you are given a shell prompt. From here, you can do anything requiring a text console. Compose email, read newsgroups, move files around, and so on. If you are running X and you telnet to a machine from an xterm, you can run X programs on the remote computer and display them on yours. See the section called Exporting displays in Chapter 6 for more information.

To login to a remote machine, use this syntax:

   $ telnet <hostname>

If the host responds, you will receive a login prompt. Give it your username and password. That's it. You are now at a shell. To quit your telnet session, use either the exit command or the logout command.

IMPORTANT NOTE: telnet does not encrypt the information it sends. Everything is sent in plain text, even passwords. It is not advisable to use telnet over the Internet. Instead, consider the Secure Shell. It encrypts all traffic and is available for free. See http://www.ssh.org/ for more information.