When you run an SSH client, you get a terminal window logged in to whatever server you connected to. Keep in mind that others in the University may need to use these same resources, so please use these resources wisely. You should also follow rules and restrictions associated with the server.
In general, an SSH terminal in which you use simple line oriented commands requires minimal resources from a server. More complicated or buggy commands, such as programs caught in endless loops, may consume significantly more resources, so try to be careful and try to interrupt and cancel (e.g. Ctrl-C) programs which behave badly.
Full screen programs, such as a full screen editor (like gedit), or any program with a Graphical User Interace require significantly more resources than simple line oriented commands. MobaXterm allows you to use such programs, but whne you do you are sending full screens back and forth over the network. If you find that the system is going slow, you may want use a local editor on a local copy of a file, instead of using the remote editor.
It is possible for Binghamton University students to use a facility called a "Secure Socket Shell" or SSH for short in order to log on to a Binghamton University Linux server machine using a terminal window on your laptop.
Since Macs are Unix based, all the tools you need are already built into the operating system. How to SSH via using Mac OS is explained below.
If you have a Windows laptop, there is SSH and FTP software you must use that make it possible to do the coding work for this class on your laptop.
In order to use SSH, you will need to tunnel through the Binghamton University firewall. This is perfectly legal for anyone with Binghamton University credentials. In order to do this, you will need to install the "Pulse Secure" software on your laptop. There are instructions for doing this at the BU IT SSL web page
Once you have installed Pulse Secure, open the user interface and add (+) a connection using whatever name you choose, and the server ssl.binghamton.edu. The first time you connect, you will be prompted for your PODS userid and password, but if you let Pulse Secure save your asnwers, it will automatically log you when you start your laptop.
Next, you will need software to enable opening an SSH window from your laptop. The server you use for SSH will depend on which course you are enrolled in. Below are the servers in use for various courses:
If you are on a Windows machine, a freeware product called MobaXterm is avilable to you. Other SSH client software is available, but MobaXterm is easy and everything we need is available in the free edition. Download and install the free addition from https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/.
Once you have installed MobaXterm, start it, and create a new session by clicking on the "Session" icon, then starting an "SSH" session, specifying a Binghamton University server as the remote host, and your PODS userid as the username. Leave the "Port" at the default of 22. None of the advanced settings need to be modified.
An ssh client is alread installed on your computer. Open a terminal (use spotlight if you don't know where it is). On the command line, type the following:
ssh BU_ID@SERVER