[plug] Cannot rlogin

[Matt Kemner]

[I wrote]

> >What error do you get on the client side?
> >Are you able to view the errors on the server side?

On Wed, 22 Nov 2000, Phil Steege wrote:
 
> I have no server, just two linux PC's (host1 and host2) on a home network

OK but in the context of rlogin you have a server (which is the one you
are trying to log in TO, and which will be running in.rlogind, via inetd)
and a client (which is the one you are logging in FROM)

I ask again, what errors do you get?

ie if you type in "rlogin host2" from host1 (or vice versa) what error
does rlogin give you?  As Christian said, it can be any of a large number
of things, and without more info from you, it is going to be very
difficult for anybody here to be able to give you much help.

Eg. if the error says something like:
rcmd: host2: Connection reset by peer

then the problem is most likely hosts.deny related, which as I mentioned
in my last email is most often caused by a DNS mismatch problem.
It could also mean in.rlogind is not where inetd expects it to be.

On the other hand, if the error message is more like:
host2: Connection refused

then the problem is that nothing is listening on rlogin's port, which
means either inetd has died (which considering you can't telnet either is
quite likely), inetd has received too many connections to that port in a
row and has temporarily disabled it, or a firewall setting is preventing
access to that port.

> where I am learning about networking.

Do yourself a favour and don't bother with rlogin/telnet, at least not if
you want to use the skills you are learning in the real world.
Instead, learn about ssh, which is designed to replace rlogin/rsh etc and
encrypts the entire connection.

> I have not touched hosts.deny since installation of MDK 7.2.  Only .rhost,
> where I put the line:
> host2   root
> in the ~/.rhost file on host1 and the opposite in the same file on host2

You will also find that on most systems, by default you are not permitted
to log in as root from remote via rlogin or telnet - for some very good
security reasons.

> I am still a newbie when it comes to logs.  Which man / info page would be
> the right ones to read?

Have a mosey through the /var/log/ directory instead. (on the machine
you are trying to log in TO)

At least one of the files should contain the info you are looking for.

 - Matt