Setting up for remote support

rxOS allows remote support channel to be set up by adding a simple text file on an USB stick and plugging it into the receiver.

Note

Because of the security implicatins, remote support channel is only opened with full cooperation from Outernet, and only trusted individuals and organizations (e.g., partners, clients) will are allowed to use this feature.

Configuration file

The remote access configuration file is named REMOTE (all-caps). The file contains configuration parameters in NAME='value' format, exactly one parameter per line. The following table contains all the possible parameters and their purpose. All parameters are optional except the KEY.

Parameter Example Meaning
PORT 9978 This value should be a port number issued by Outernet staff. If omitted, a port between 20000 and 30000 will be randomly selected.
HOST support.outernet.is Domain name of the support server as specified by the Outernet staff. If omitted, hub.outernet.is is used.
NAME john-lantern Name of the receiver. This helps the support staff identify the receiver. If omitted, the default name ‘rxos’ is used.
SSID mywifi SSID (access point name) of the access point which should be used to connect to Internet. If this is left blank, wireless connection is not used, and instead, it is assumed that the receiver will gain access to Internet by some other means. PASSCODE parameter is required when using SSID.
PASSCODE some secret Passcode (password) of the wireless access point that should be used to connect to Internet.
KEY (gibberish) Access key that is used to establish a connection with the server and provided by the Outernet staff.

Warning

Any and all values must be quoted using single quotes. Failure to do this may result in unexpected behavior.

Warning

NEVER SHARE THE ACCESS KEY WITH ANYONE. You must ensure that the access key does not fall into the wrong hands. If the key is misused by a malicious user, any receivers connected to the support server or the networks they are on may get compromised.

Activating the support connection

To activate the support connection:

  • power down the receiver
  • put the REMOTE file onto USB storage device
  • plug the USB storage device into the receiver
  • power the reciever up

Deactivating the support connection

To deactivate the support connection:

  • power down the receiver
  • remove the USB storage device from the reciever (if you need to use the storage device again, delete the REMOTE file from it)
  • power the receiver up

How it works

When rxOS boots, if the appropriate configuration file and access key are found on the USB storage device, the networking is reconfigured (when using the SSID parameter) to access the Internet, and a SSH connection is established with the remote support server allowing a tunnel from the specified PORT back to the SSH port on the receiver. The Outernet staff then accesses the receiver using SSH through this tunnel (reverse SSH).