Re: [MLUG] Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Need help understanding the ~

[Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Fri, 21 Mar 2008, Christian M. Cepel wrote:

> The only reason the server mappings aren't being added for the new 
> server coe3.missouri.edu is because they are doing away with the ~ 
> accounts... both are unacceptable.  If I can figure out a solution that 
> satisfies the security gurus, then the DNS mappings would be maintained 
> (I see no reason why they wouldn't).

It seems to me that their problem is that the ~ gives away the username 
and this attracts a lot of inappropriate attempts to connect via ftp or 
ssh or telnet by scripts that are trying to guess passwords.  If they 
don't get rid of the old server name, they'll continue to see these 
attempts even if the usernames don't exist.  So I don't think their 
problem can be solved without getting rid of the old server name 
altogether.

If they did keep the old server name, they would have to change the names 
of all users.  If they did that, they could retain a mapping from the old 
username to the new one and they could set up the web server to have it 
direct the old /~whatever/ to something else.

I think there is another way -- they can keep a computer that does HTTP 
redirects only and ignores attempts on all other ports.  So point old DNS 
records to

httpdirect.missouri.edu (which has many aliases)

When it sees an attempt to connect here...

http://whatever.missouri.edu/~user/blah/

...it redirects it to here:

http://coe3.missouri.edu/Xuser/blah/

Something like that.

Mike

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