One of my favorite Unix programs is SSH (Secure SHell), a secure way to ‘shell’ into a server over the Internet. Unlike telnet and rsync, SSH uses strong encryption which ensures that sensitive information (e.g. passwords, etc.) is not displayed in plain view during transmission over the Internet.
But what if you are using a public computer-like a kiosk that doesn’t have SSH installed? Enter Mindterm, a 100% Java implementation of OpenSSH. Just load a webpage that contains the Mindterm applet and a SSH terminal window pops up, just like a normal terminal. With Mindterm, I could administer my server from an Internet Cafe in Bangledesh if I wanted to, all via strong encryption. I’m including a link to Mindterm on my website in case anyone would like to use it.
This is one of the best uses for a Java applet I have seen. Typically I would prefer to have special web functionality like this provided via Javascript (because it’s faster to load, requires less overhead), but Javascript doesn’t have the necessary programming primitives to make socket connections.
Mindterm just came out with a beta of a new version they are working on. Besides the new Swing interface, Mindterm now has some pretty sophisticated features like SSH port-forwarding. Mindterm is open source but is not free of charge for businesses with over 25 users. An earlier version is published under the GPL, though.