Accessing my Workstations new ways.
There are many different ways to set up remote access to your workstations. Tools like RDP, VNC, Chrome Remote Desktop and many other options make it very easy to connect and work remotely.
When exploring New Tools and ways to connect to my Linux Workstation. I looked for options to install new software, work on Projects, and monitor services. I found SSH. SSH (Secure Shell), is a way to remote into Servers, Switches, Computers, by utilizing Terminal or Command Line. To run commands and make changes to the workstation non-interactively but as a connected user on the workstation.
I use this almost daily now to work on projects in the office, but also now even at home! My Linux Workstation at home has been collecting dust recently. It was time to work on a new project but I didn’t have the necessary tools. But with a little research I now use tools to access my Linux Shell Remotely utilizing Nord VPN and Termius.
Creating my VPN Tunnel for SSH:
The First Step in this process is to set up my NordVPN session. NordVPN needs to be configured on all the devices I wanted to use SSH remotely from. NordVPN has been Pivotal to my success with connecting remotely. I can do this securely without having to fully expose my devices to the public internet.
The most interesting part about using NordVPN on Linux especially is having to set it up via Terminal. Once installed it allowed me to set up MeshNet by setting “Nordvpn set meshnet on”.
This enabled the connections that was to establish the tunnel connection through NordVPN.
The most common devices I use are my iPhone, my MacBook, and occasionally my Gaming PC. This allows me to access my devices with a secure connection whenever I need all built into NordVPN. Check out NordVPN Meshnet below and explore the options it gives you!
Setting up SSH & Remote Access:
Once the VPN configuration is all set, next step is to install the Open SSH Client and Server on the Linux Workstation.
To do that, in Terminal You run:
sudo apt install openssh-client
sudo apt install openssl-serverI tested the connection from my MacBook and it was successful on Port 22. I wanted to make things more secure so I did update the port for SSH as well.
In this guide I will not be sharing the Port I utilized. However there are many tools online that can assist with finding a proper port.
To change the port in Terminal after installing the client and server you can edit the Config file:
sudo nano /etc/ssh/ssd_config
Once Nano opens you search the file by hitting CTRL+W and searching “Port”. Next, uncomment the line by removing “#” Then change the port to your desired port.
This port is important because that is what establishes the secure connection whether you are connecting via your local IP address or utilizing the IP address provided by NordVPN if you are following the steps above!
Using Termius:
Next was utilizing Termius as an SSH Client that I could save my credentials to a unified platform that allows my access to be protected in a secured vault. As well as allow quick and easy connections to my SSH Client.
I found Termius when I was browsing the web for options to SSH using my phone to have a form of Command Line or Terminal to work with. The abilities of this application shocked Me. There is so much functionality there Was supported with this application and I definitely would recommend trying out the free version to test and see what you think of it!
I added my connection to the App via the NordVPN assigned IP Address with my username It looked something like this
ssh [email protected]
Now when using Termius you Submit the prompt for IP address and when establishing your connection you will use your root password and username to connect to the system. This does work outside of Termius too but the best part about this application is you can also save a ton of time by adding your saved credentials to the application in a secure vault that encrypts and syncs across multiple devices as well!
This is my first blog post here, however I am still looking for new unified ways to create new content for Facepalm Studio, please feel free to leave comments below and let me know if you like this process! More photos and guides will be coming onto the website as I continue to learn and develop my skills and knowledge!