Shell accounts

Could someone explain to me what a shell account is and isn't? Thanx.

I *believe* that they are a user account on a Unix box for users to use for assorted purposes. Some of these were intended for users to be able to learn Unix, some for access to a compiler, and others for assorted purposes. My University used to offer these to anyone that wanted one, but because they are somehting Hackers have used for a long time they stopped offering them to the students at large and restricetd their use to the CS students.

Someone elese here I am sure has used them and probably knows a place or two to get one set up. If you are a University student check and see if they offer accounts to students.

ANTIPOINTS FOR ME

a shell account is simply having an user account at some *nix server... u mostly connect with telnet (or ssh) to the server, enter usr and pwd and voila! u have a command shell on the server... the great thing about shell accounts is of course that everything u do on ur shell wont use any of urs cpu's power, just the server ur connected to will feel it (that's why *nix r0x!)... the common most used feature on shell accounts is IRC and compilers... personally i use shell accounts for using IRC when i'm not at home... it's just important to remember that the server is monitoring ur every move, so don't try anything stupid when on a free public shell account... :) (the feds could be watching too, hehe)

visit http://www.shellyeah.org that's my favorite for when i need to connect to irc... (it uses epic ircII)

PEACE! :D

If I need to use Linux tools and apps thru my Windows box I use one of 2 options (depending on whether it needx X and whether I have to be logged in as root.)

[1] For console-only or user-level stuff: telnet to port 23, log in as a standard user (root access thru telnet is prohibited). [Equiv. of a shell account]

[2] Run a VNC server as root (or another user) for X apps and for administrative stuff...


Of course, most of the time I just switch the monitor on and use it as a standard PC anyway... but I have 2 options for accessing it from another room this way!

Thanx, I registered for an account, and I also contacted my ISP and they said that they provide shell accounts. This is good. Thanx again.

I think that it's important to point out that shell accounts aren't limited to just *nix, it can also be some flavor of linux or even some NT system, but I have yet to see or hear about an NT shell.........

an NT shell account? Apart from being useless it'd have more holes than a bloody sieve!!!

The closet thing to an NT shell account I ever experianced is pcAnywhere -but it does not allow multiple users to logon to the NT system at the same time.