Telnet Server HOWTO

From openSUSE

The SSH (Secure SHell) provides all that provides telnet and much more, and it is actually developed to be safe replacement. If you came here after reading some article that recommends telnet, check the date when article was written, as today everybody will recommend only SSH.

Quick Setup

• Install telnet-server using YaST software management
• Enable telnetd in xinetd. This can be done manually by editing /etc/xinetd.conf and changing disabled = yes to disabled = no, or by using the following command

chkconfig telnet on

• Start xinetd if its not running already.

/etc/init.d/xinetd start

• Make sure that xinetd is started automatically at boot time

chkconfig xinetd on

Allow telnet login for "root"

Remote root login is disabled for a good reason. Don't do this unless you know exactly the possible consequences.

In normal case "root" isn't allowed to login over telnet (security reasons). To change this you have to edit the file /etc/pam.d/login:

#auth    required       pam_securetty.so

• Then you must restart the xinet daemon:

/etc/init.d/xinetd restart

In opensuse 11.1

The line into the file /etc/pam.d/login hava been modified for this one:

#auth    [user_unknown=ignore success=ok ignore=ignore auth_err=die default=bad] pam_securetty.so