System Administration Guide: Network Services

Direct or Indirect Remote Logins

The rlogin command allows you to log in to a remote system directly or indirectly.

A direct remote login is attempted with the default user name, that is, the user name of the individual who is currently logged in to the local system. This is the most common form of remote login.

An indirect remote login is attempted with a different user name, which is supplied during the remote login operation. This is the type of remote login you might attempt from a workstation that you borrowed temporarily. For instance, if you were in a coworker's office and needed to examine files in your home directory, you might log in to your system remotely, from your coworker's system. However, you would perform an indirect remote login, supplying your own user name.

The dependencies between direct and indirect logins and authentication methods are summarized in the following table.

Table 29–2 Dependencies Between Login Method and Authentication Method (rlogin)

Type of Login 

User Name Supplied By 

Authentication 

Password 

Direct 

System 

Network 

None 

 

 

System 

Required 

Indirect 

User 

Network 

None 

 

 

System 

Required