BASIC NETWORKING COMMANDS

Module 5
Communication in Linux
The mesg Command
• To control whether other users can send messages
to you
• Can set a terminal mode so that other users can
start a chat session with you
• Two options available
– mesg y: other users can send messages
– mesg n: other users cannot send messages
• No parameters: displays current message
permission settings
• The root user can send messages to any computer
regardless of settings
The who –T Command
• who command used to determine users who are
currently logged in
• Gives a four-column output
• Gives names of users, name of terminal from where
they logged in, login date and time
• Provides list of online users
• Does not provide info on status of a users
willingness to receive messages
The who –T Command
• To display status use who –T command
• Gives a five-column output
• Second column provides users willingness to receive
messages
– + indicates user has allowed access
– - indicates user has not allowed access
– ? Indicates unable to determine status
The talk Command
• An interactive messaging system
• To talk or chat with another user on the network
• Copies lines from your terminal to that of another
user
• Syntax:
– talk person [ttyname]
• Example:
– talk angela
The talk Command
• Terminal name to be specified if other user has
logged in from different terminals
• To start the chat, a message is sent to the other
person
• To establish connection, other user must accept the
message that is sent
• If message is not accepted, talk will send the same
message every 30 seconds until it is accepted
• The user can cancel it by pressing <Ctrl>+C keys
The talk Command
• When the connection is established, following
message will be displayed
– [Ringing your party again]
• To accept message angela need to type
– talk angela@angelasmachine
• When connection is established terminal window
divided into two screens
– Upper half: text that we type
– Lower half: text typed by the correspondent
• Connection closed by pressing <Ctrl>+C
The write utility
• To send a message on another users terminal
• Syntax:
– write user_name [terminal_name]
• Example:
– write angela
• These messages displayed only if mesg y is set at the
other user end
The write Utility
• If mesg n is set, write dispalys the following
message:
– write: Angela has messages disabled
• If other user is not logged on write displays
following message:
– write: Angela is not logged in
• If user logged in from different terminals, message
sent to terminal with highest accumulated time
• To enable two-way communication, mesg y to be set
at both ends
The wall Utility
• To send messages to all users connected
• To all currently logged in users with mesg y
• Syntax:
– wall <message>
• When no parameter given, accepts input from
keyboard
• Can type multiple lines
• Terminated by <Ctrl>+C
The finger Utility
• To display status of all currently logged in users
• Syntax:
– finger [options] [username]
• Displays user’s login name, full name, terminal name,
write status, idle time, login time, logged in machine
address and office phone number
• Without any parameters, displays single line output
for all users
• Write permission displayed with the terminal name
as an asterisk
– If asterisk comes after terminal name, write permission is
denied
The finger Utility
• Also used to display specific info about individual
users
• Specify login name of user with finger utility
• Example: finger steve
• Additional info displayed:
– Users home directory
– Home phone number
– Login shell
– Mail status
– Contents of the files .plan, .project and .forward
Options with finger Utility
Option Meaning

-s Same as finger with no options

-l Same as finger <user name>, but only if user is logged in

-p Don’t transfer info from .plan and .project files

-m Makes finger case-sensitive

The chfn Utility

• To change info displayed by finger command

• Checks for user info from /etc/passwd file and
allows user to change it
• Syntax:
– chfn [options] [username]
• If no options, user can type or modify info for each
field in /etc/passwd file
• First asks for user’s password for authentication
• If a field is not to be modified, just press enter
Options with chfn Utility
Option Meaning

-f <full name> To modify your complete name

-o <office> To modify office address or room number

-p <office phone> To modify office phone number-h

-h To modify home phone number

-u To display help

-v To display version number of chfn

The ping Command

• To verify whether or not a particular IP address

exists and can accept requests
• Ping command sends a packet to a specified address
and awaits response
• Syntax:
– ping <ip address> OR
– ping <domain name>
The traceroute Command
• To determine the path a packet takes to reach
destination
• Packet can be 1KB or 1000 characters
• Packet contains source and destination address,
length, number and sequence of packet
• Routers switch packets from one network to
another
• Traceroute command gives the sequence of hops
the packet has traversed
• Also calculates and displays time taken by each hop
The traceroute Command
• Syntax:
– traceroute <ip address> OR
– traceroute <domain name>
The ssh Command
• Acronym for Secure Shell
• To start a secure connection to a remote Linux
system
• Uses encrypted connection technology
– Public key encryption
• Passwords are also encrypted
• Once server authenticates username and password,
user gets a normal shell on remote system
• Syntax:
• ssh [-l login name] [host name] [user@@hostname]
[command]
EMAIL FACILITIES IN
LINUX
 METHODS FOR
COMMUNICATION
• Use write or talk utility
• Use email
 TWO COMPONENTS
OF EMAIL SYSTEM

 Mail User Agent (MUA)

 User Interface of the mail software
 Example: pine, elm, mail, netscape etc
 Mail Transfer Agent (MTA)
 Manages transfer of mail
 Example: sendmail, fetchmail
 HOW EMAIL WORKS?

 User can access the mailbox by starting any MUA

 Mail identification corresponds to login name
 MUA passes message onto MTA
 MTA resolves destination of recipient from emailid
 If remote recipient, MTA establishes connection
with mail machines on route to destination and
transfers mail
 TCP used for connection and SMTP used for
routing messages
 MTA also any manages problems in mail delivery
 MAIL ADDRESS FORMAT
FOR RECIPIENTS

 Format
 <user login name>@<hostname>
 Example: pine, elm, mail, netscape etc
 Example:
 angelasmith@linuxmac.com
 STORING
RECIPIENT DETAILS

 Store the needed email addresses

 Make use of a personal address book
 THE PINE UTILITY
 PINE: Program for Internet News and Email
 A character based MUA in Linux
 Used to exchange messages and Internet news
 Menu-driven
 Easy to use
 Syntax:
 pine [options] [address, address]
 FEATURES OF PINE

 Can view, save, export, delete, print, reply to and

forward messages
 Can postpone delivery of messages
 Uses simple editor PICO, that has word-wrap and spell-
check facilities
 Enables full-screen selection and management of
message folders
 Uses address book to maintain list of frequently used
addresses
 FEATURES OF PINE CONTD

 Enables new mail checking and notification after a

specified number of minutes and after certain
commands such as <Ctrl>+L
 Can use online, context-sensitive help screens
 Can send files as attachments in email
 Can customize as per requirements
 FILES USED BY PINE

 /var/spool/mail/username
 ~/mail
 ~/.addressbook
 ~/.addressbook.lu
 ~/.pine-debug[1-4]
 ~/.newsrc
 ~/.signature
 ~/.mailcap
 /etc/pine.conf
 ~/.pinerc
THE PINE OPENING
SCREEN
MAIN MENU OF
PINE
 COMMANDS AT
THE OPENING
MENU
Command Meaning Usage
? Help Gives detailed help
C Compose Message Compose/draft a message
I Message Index Displays messages in current folder
L Folder List Selects a folder to view
A Address Book Stores email addresses of people
S Setup Used to configure pine options
R Release Notes Displays release notes of pine
K Keyboard Lock Locks keyboard using password
 COMMANDS
AVAILABLE IN
SETUP SCREEN
Command Meaning Usage
P Printer Configures printer
N New password To modify current password
C Configure Helps to configure mail services
S Signature Helps to set your signature here
A Address Books Stores emailids
L Collection List To create/delete folders
R Roles To create and modify roles
? Help Detailed help
 OPTIONS
AVAILABLE WITH
PINE COMMAND
Option Meaning
<address list> Displays compose screen addressed to to the
given email address
-attach <file> Displays compose screen with specified file
attached
-attachlist <filelist> Sends multiple files as attachments
-attach_and_delete Displays compose screen, attaches file and
<file> deletes it when finished
-f <folder> Specifies folder name to be opened with pine
-l <keystrokes> Specifies first set of keystrokes after opening
pine
-F <file> Opens specified file to view