How do I enter a login string for a remote Unix kernel for Mathematica 4.0?

When connecting to remote computers, you will need to enter a login string in the “Login String” text box. This lets the remote kernel start automatically so you don't have to enter your login every time you start the remote kernel.

The exact contents of the login string depends on the operating system used by the remote computer. The following example describes how to enter a login string that can be understood by most computers running the Unix operating system. If your remote computer does not run Unix or if the login string described below does not work on your remote Unix computer, consult your system administrator or the system documentation for the remote computer.

Here is a typical login string for a remote Unix computer.

^:username ^:password ^>

Be aware that only one of these lines is visible at a time. This makes it easy to forget the other lines.

Each caret (^) tells the front end to wait for the remote computer to send the next character before proceeding with the rest of the string. The first two carets in the string are followed by colons, and thus instruct the front end to wait for a colon from the remote computer before sending more information. On most Unix computers, colons end the Unix login prompts login: and password:. The third caret is followed by the > symbol, which often ends a Unix system prompt and indicates that the computer is ready for you to enter a command. (If the prompts on your Unix system end with a different symbol, for example % or $, your login string must end with that character.)

The login string given earlier is read as follows by your Macintosh.

^: wait for the remote computer to send a colon username send the login name followed by a carriage return ^: wait for the remote computer to send another colon password send the password followed by a carriage return ^> wait for the remote computer to send a > prompt

Omitting portions (or all) of the login string requires you to enter the corresponding text each time you start the remote kernel. For security reasons, you may want to omit your password from the login string since the password is not hidden. You could enter the following string in the “Kernel Configuration” dialog box.

^:username ^:^>

This string would require you to enter a password each time the remote kernel is started, but otherwise the kernel startup would be automatic. On the other hand, this string does not require that you modify the login string every time you change your password, which is convenient if you change your password frequently.

Download this FAQ as a Mathematica 5.2 Notebook

Questions or comments? Send email to support@wolfram.com.