SME Server:Documentation:User Manual:Chapter1

Chapter 1 - Access

Passwords

The user's password gives access to server login, file storage, email accounts and the like. If a user's password is lost the administrator can reset to a new value, but not retrieve the old one. Passwords must be sufficiently complex, with the rules controlled by the server administrator.

Users can reset their passwords at www.yourserver.net/user-password

For windows clients, If the server is the domain PDC the user can reset his password after issuing a Ctrl+Alt+Del, Note that windows error messages may not explain clearly enough that the user password isn't sufficiently complex.

Admin/root passwords

Unlike user passwords, the admin/root passwords can not be set via www.yourserver.net/user-password, nor can they be set on a windows client via Ctrl+Alt+Del. Admin/root passwords must be set via the server manager or via the console commands passwd, either on the console directly or via SSH.

VPN Access

	Work in Progress:
	This page is a Work in Progress. The contents off this page may be in flux, please have a look at this page history the to see list of changes.

	Warning:
	PPTP is UNSAFE and has been DEPRECATED. This section is in the process of being rewritten. Use VPN (qv) instead of PPTP

	Note:
	When setting up VPN make sure your subnet is not the same as your VPN, for example your location "home" has a subnet of 192.168.1.0 and your "office" is 192.168.1.0 will not allow you to VPN, you will either need to change your "home" subnet to be different or set up your server to be a unique subnet.

Shell Access

• Password access

If your admin allows it you can connect with just a username and password.

• SSH Keys access

If you need to get SSH access to your server from outside the LAN (e.g. you want to get to your work server from home) then the advised method is to use Public / Private Keys.

During Logon, the server runs a check to see if your Private Key corresponds to its stored Public key for the user that you are trying to log on as. If they don't match then the server simply drops the TCP session.

Setup your keys with the information at SSH_Public-Private_Keys

When you have SSH Keys working, the server Admin can disable logging in using passwords.

• Improve user remote shell cosmetics

Create a .bash_profile file for the user in ~

# include .bashrc if it exists
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
   source ~/.bashrc
fi