Connecting to a remote Linux or UNIX server

The following documentation explains how to install the Linux or UNIX server code, start the server daemon, and make a connection to a remote Linux or UNIX server.

Prerequisites

To use the Remote System Explorer communications server daemon you need to install Perl. Using the daemon helps eliminate some of the manual steps when you connect to the server.Also note that Java Development Kit (JDK) version 1.4 or higher is required.

Installing the server code

Ensure that Perl is installed.
Ensure that JDK version 1.4 or higher is installed.
Create a directory where you want to install the server code. The remainder of these instructions will assume the directory /opt/rseserver (suitable for team sharing), but you are free to use any directory.
Find the x:\product directory\eclipse\plugins\com.ibm.etools.systems.universal_version_number\serverruntime\rseserver.jar file on your local workstation, where x:\product directory is the directory where you installed the product, for example, c:\WSWB.
FTP the file rseserver.jar to the /opt/rseserver directory.
Switch to the /opt/rseserver directory by typing:
```
cd /opt/rseserver
```
Run the following command in the /opt/rseserver directory to extract the server code:
```
jar -xf rseserver.jar
```
Attention: The jar command is shipped with the JDK and might not be in your path. If you receive a "command not found" error when running the jar command then try to qualify the jar command with the installation directory for the JDK. For example: /opt/IBMJava2-131/bin/jar -xf rseserver.jar

Still in the /opt/rseserver directory, run the following configuration commands:

dos2unix daemon.linux
dos2unix server.linux
chmod 755 server.linux
chmod 755 daemon.linux
chmod 755 auth.pl

Starting the server

You can start the RSE communications server with the server daemon, or manually. Before starting the server, make sure the Java command is in your path, you can do this by running the following command:

java -version

You should see something similar to the following:

java version "1.4.1"
Java(TM) 2 Runtime Environment, Standard Edition (build 1.4.1)
Classic VM (build 1.4.1, J2RE 1.4.1 IBM build cxppc321411-20040301 (JIT enabled: jitc))

If you receive a "command not found" error, then try creating a symbolic link to the java command in /usr/bin by running the following command:

ln -s  /opt/IBMJava2-131/jre/bin/java /usr/bin/java

To start the server with the server daemon

Ensure that you are running using the root user ID. (If the daemon is not run under root, it will be unable to authenticate connecting users.) Run the following commands:
```
su -l root
cd /opt/rseserver
perl ./daemon.linux
```

Note that the server daemon runs on port 4035. You can also start the daemon.unix in the same way.

To start the Linux server manually

Run the following commands:

cd /opt/rseserver
perl ./server.linux [port]

These commands run the server.linux script located in the /opt/rseserver directory. If this does not work, try changing the permission attributes on server.linux (for example, enter chmod 755 server.linux. The port parameter to the server.linux script is optional. If you do not specify a port, then the server will pick the first one available and print the port number to standard out. By default, it is usually 4033. If you would like to use a different port, you will then have to enter this port number in port property for the Files subsystem for your connection in the Remote System Explorer (see Connecting to the Remote Server, below). Otherwise, you do not need to change this property.

To start the UNIX server manually

To run the unix.server script, enter the following commands:

cd /opt/rseserver
perl ./server.unix [port]

These commands run the server.linux script located in the /opt/rseserver directory. If this does not work, try changing the permission attributes on server.unix (for example, enter chmod 755 server.unix. The port parameter to the server.unix script is optional. If you do not specify a port, then the server will pick the first one available and print the port number to standard out. By default, it is usually 4033. If you would like to use a different port, you will then have to enter this port number in port property for the Files subsystem for your connection in the Remote System Explorer (see Connecting to the Remote Server, below). Otherwise, you do not need to change this property.

Running the daemon at startup

You might instead want to configure the daemon to run at start up for Linux. To do so, you need to append a call to the daemon to your startup script. Add the following lines to the bottom of the /etc/rc.d/rc.local file:

cd /opt/rseserver
perl ./daemon.linux &

You can also add perl ./daemon.unix if you want to run the UNIX daemon at startup.

Connecting to the Remote Server

To make a connection to your remote server:

Switch to the Remote System Explorer perspective. From the workbench menu, click Window > Open Perspective > Remote System Explorer.
In the Remote Systems view, New Connection is automatically expanded to show the various remote systems you can connect to through the Remote System Explorer. Expand Linux or Unix to invoke the new connection dialog box and configure a connection.
Enter a name for your first profile and click Next. (This step only occurs if you have never defined a connection before.)
Enter a connection name. This name displays in your tree view and must be unique to the profile.
Enter the name or TCP/IP address of your Linux server in the Host name field, for example, LINUX_A.
(Optional) Enter a Description. The description appears in the Properties view after the connection is created.
Click Finish to define your system.

Attention: To check your port number, right-click your connection or subsystem from the Remote Systems view and select Properties. Click Subsystem to view the relevant information. If your port is "0," then your Remote System Explorer communications server will pick any free port on the server. If you specified a port number when starting the server, you need to enter it here, for example, to work with a firewall.