Accessing Your Unix Account

There are three common ways that the Unix account is used. SSH (or a similar program) allows a user to open a terminal window and log into his or her account. Secure FTP allows a user to log in to the account to transfer files to or from the account. Finally, the H: drive (also called the Central File Server, or FILES) allows the user to map her Unix account and view it as a local drive.

SSH
SSH is used to open a terminal window to connect to a remote computer. SSH is the software currently available and recommended for use on the Princeton campus. SSH Secure Shell creates a secure, encrypted connection to the remote server, providing security for the transmitted data.

For more information, see: www.princeton.edu/ssh

FTP
Secure FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is a form of connection to a server that facilitates file transfer between the user’s computer and the remote server. In the case of the Princeton servers, an SFTP connection allows the user to transfer files to and from her Unix account. As you will see below, this is more easily done using the Central File Server. However, Secure FTP is useful for users who are not on the Princeton network. For example, a student who is home for Spring Break can download the documents that he saved to his H: drive.

Just like HTTP connections are established using a web browser, Secure FTP connections require a Secure FTP client. The most commonly used clients on the Princeton campus are SSH Secure File Transfer and Fugu for the Macintosh. These programs are available on the Princeton servers and also available for free download on the Internet.

Information on using common Secure FTP clients is available at:
Solution 5096: FTP: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Central File Server (H: drive)
All Princeton public cluster computers map the H: drive to your Central File Server account, so many users associate their saved files only with the H: drive. It’s important to understand that all files saved to the H: drive are accessible using Secure FTP or a terminal program as described above. More extensive documentation of the Central File Server can be found at www.princeton.edu/files.

Instructions for mounting your H: drive are available at:
Solution 5286: Central File Server: How to connect to your account and map your H: drive