Obtaining and Using Nifty Telnet SSH/SCP for the Macintosh

Nifty Telnet is a freeware Telnet/SSH/SCP program for the Macintosh platform. You can use this program for your Telnet/FTP/SSH/SCP needs. This program has a GUI that is simple to use. Keep in mind you cannot Telnet/FTP to Sun hosts on the JHU Computer Science network. Some people think the SCP is a little shaky with this program, but we haven't had any problems with the latest verion (Revision 3, July 1999) yet.

Please note that the Johns Hopkins University Department of Computer Science does not support the Macintosh platform. These instructions are here for your convenience. Do not e-mail the CS Technical Staff for support of this or any other Macintosh related inquires. The CS Technical Staff well not be responsible for any damage, direct or indirect, caused by this program. The user assumes all liability.

• Download Nifty Telnet here.
• You will need Stuffit Expander or a similar program to decompress the file niftytelnet-1.1-ssh-r3.cpt.
  • When you decompress the .cpt file, you will get a folder called "nifty telnet-1.1-ssh-r3 folder." Put this wherever you want on your hard drive.
  • Inside that folder you while find the following.
    • Navigator Telnet Fix (Application file)
    • Nifty Telnet 1.1 SSH r3 (Application file)
    • Nifty Telnet Guide (Help file)
    • README (Simple Text file)
    • README SSH support (Simple Text file)

Using SSH

Setting up Nifty Telnet for SSH.

• Open Nifty Telnet program.
• Go to File on the menu bar and select "New Connection."
• When the New Connection window is open, click on the "New" button.
  • Another window will open, and in this window you will need to do the following.
    • Enter in a Shortcut Name, e.g. the name of your host.
    • Enter in a Hostname, e.g. yourhost.cs.jhu.edu.
    • Under Protocol, you have three options (Telnet, SSH - DES, SSH - 3DES and SSH - Blowfish), select SSH - 3DES for use on the CS Department network..
  • Click on "Okay."
  • There are settings in the New Connection window you may want to change, e.g. Terminal Type, etc., but the above is enough to get you started.

Using Nifty Telnet for SSH.

• Open the Nifty Telnet program.
• You can either go to File on the menu bar and select your host from your list if you have more than one host set up. Once you have selected your host, click on "Connect". If you have a shortcut name for your connection, you can also go to Shortcuts on the menu bar and select your connection in that way.
• You will then be prompted for your username and password. Once you enter the correct username/password combination, your terminal window appears and you are ready to go.
• A closed lock icon will appear in the lower lefthand corner of your terminal window to show that the connection is encrypted.
• Remember the forward slashes for your UNIX directories.

Using SCP

Copying files from your Macintosh to your UNIX host.

• In order to copy a file from you Macintosh to your UNIX host...
  • Open the Nifty Telnet program.
  • Go to File on the menu bar and select "New Connection"
  • Under the "New Connection" window, select which host you wish to connect and then click on the "SCP" button.
  • The SCP window will open up.
  • Select "Send files/folders"
  • Click on the "Add Files/Folders" button to choose files and/folders from your hard drive you wish to copy.
  • Under "Destination Path," enter where you want your files to go, e.g. ~username/somedirectory/.
  • Click on "Start Copy" or hit "Return." You will be prompted for your username and password. Once entered the program begins the copy.
• Remember the forward slashes for your UNIX directories.

Copying files from your UNIX host to your Macintosh.

• In order to copy a file from your UNIX host to your Macintosh...
  • Follow the first three steps above.
  • When the SCP window opens, select "Receive Files/Folders."
  • Under "Source File," enter the path for the file/folder you wish to copy, e.g. ~username/somefolder/somefile.
  • Under "Download Folder," select where on your hard drive you want to copy your files.
  • Click on "Start Copy" or hit "Return." You will be prompted for your username and password. Once entered the program begins the copy.
• Remember the forward slashes for your UNIX directories.

For more information on Nifty Telnet 1.1 SSH go to the Nifty Telnet 1.1 SSH Homepage.