Port forwarding
While our servers will automatically pass through HTTP connections via a reverse proxy, what about non-HTTP applications? We have implemented a port forwarding system to address this.
Note
This guide assumes you did not pass your SSH public key to
netsoc webspace init with --ssh-key. If you did, SSH with port
forwarding is already configured. The information regarding managing your
port forwards is still relevant of course!
Set up SSH
Install
In order to make use of a port forward, we need a service to forward a port to! We'll be using SSH, as it's a very handy way to log in to your webspace and transfer files. To install the SSH server:
apt install openssh-server
Enabling password login
After installation, the SSH server will be up and running, but we need to
configure it so that you can log in with your password (set during
netsoc webspace init). Run nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config to open the config
file in nano. Scroll until you see something like the following:
# Ciphers and keying
#RekeyLimit default none
# Logging
#SyslogFacility AUTH
#LogLevel INFO
# Authentication:
#LoginGraceTime 2m
#PermitRootLogin prohibit-password
#StrictModes yes
#MaxAuthTries 6
#MaxSessions 10
#PubkeyAuthentication yes
# Expect .ssh/authorized_keys2 to be disregarded by default in future.
#AuthorizedKeysFile .ssh/authorized_keys .ssh/authorized_keys2
#AuthorizedPrincipalsFile none
Change #PermitRootLogin prohibit-password to PermitRootLogin yes (make sure
to remove the # at the beginning of the line!). Save the file and exit nano.
Run systemctl reload sshd to apply the configuration changes.
Create the port forward
Although the SSH server is up and running, you won't be able to connect to it
remotely. This is because the server isn't exposed to the internet. To create
a port forward, use the netsoc webspace ports add command. SSH runs on port
22, so run netsoc webspace ports add 22:
$ netsoc webspace ports add 22
Port 22 in webspace is now accessible externally via port 64363
$
Note the listed external port, which will be random for your webspace.
Tip
If you missed the external port or can't remember it, run
netsoc webspace ports to list all port forwards configured on your
webspace.
Log into your webspace via SSH
Now that the port forward is set up, you can use an SSH client to log in to your
webspace! When prompted for a password, enter the same one used with
netsoc webspace init.
Run ssh root@myusername.netsoc.ie (use your own external port):
$ ssh root@myusername.netsoc.ie -p 64363
The authenticity of host '[myusername.netsoc.ie]:64363 ([80.111.124.111]:64363)' can't be established.
ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:zB48NdWJQw1ZJztrt5NdTstgdl5Zj0tEuqOjc914zEs.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])? yes
Warning: Permanently added '[myusername.netsoc.ie]:64363,[80.111.124.111]:64363' (ECDSA) to the list of known hosts.
root@myusername.netsoc.ie's password:
Welcome to Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS (GNU/Linux 5.4.71-netsoc-lxd8s x86_64)
* Documentation: https://help.ubuntu.com
* Management: https://landscape.canonical.com
* Support: https://ubuntu.com/advantage
The programs included with the Ubuntu system are free software;
the exact distribution terms for each program are described in the
individual files in /usr/share/doc/*/copyright.
Ubuntu comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by
applicable law.
root@ws-u1:~#
PuTTY is
an SSH client for Windows. You can grab the latest .exe for 64-bit
Windows here.
Enter your details similar to below (use your own external port):
Press "Yes" on the dialog that appears on connnection. When asked for a
login, enter root and your password. You should see something similar to
the following:
Tip
If you've forgotten your webspace password, you can use
netsoc webspace exec passwd to reset it.
Removing port forwards
You can remove a port forward by running
netsoc webspace ports remove <external port>. To find the external port, use
netsoc webspace ports.