Shell Access:
The ONID shell server is shell.onid.oregonstate.edu
For detailed instructions and information on SSH, please see Network Engineering's Site:
http://oregonstate.edu/net/security/ssh/
Shell access involves remotely connecting to the server through SSH. SSH is a protocol which gives users the ability to connect from one Internet site to another. SSH, a more recent version of telnet, will open up a session with another host, which usually involves a login: prompt, and is based entirely in text. The main difference between telnet and SSH is that SSH is secure and telnet is not. In SSH, your password is protected from interception, while in a basic telnet program, your password could be intercepted by any third party on the internet (though they'd have to try pretty hard).
Once you remotely connect to the server using SSH, you encounter the world of UNIX. The following information is meant to help you develop a background in UNIX and become familiar with its capabilities.
UNIX
UNIX, an operating system developed by Bell Labs, is still regarded as one of the most powerful, versatile, and flexible operating systems in the world -- now over three decades after its birth. Its popularity and success are due to many factors, including its ability to run on a wide variety of machines, and its portability. UNIX is best described as simple, powerful, and elegant.
UNIX has many basic commands that let you modify and create files by using various system commands. These commands are entered at a prompt. The prompt looks something like this:
shell:~>
Webmonkey hosts a great UNIX reference page. You should take a look around to get familiar with basic UNIX commands: