Good news for Ubuntu fans and shell enthusiasts out there. Nvita.org is offering a Ubuntu shell account that provides users with access to softwares and services like GCC (GNU Compiler Collection), IRC access, Irrsi, background processes, FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and text editors (like nano and vi) for free.
Yes! You are not dreaming, this is true and not only that, the shell account could also be used for tunneling. Honestly, I do love their service because I love free stuffs. This kind of project really conforms to the philosophy of Richard Stallman about Open Source and Free Software. This is the power of Linux and the GNU Project!
NVITA (Northern Virginia Information Technology Association) deserves recognition for their excellent shell project which has the latest Ubuntu 11.04 as its Operating System (Linux Ubuntu 2.6.35-22-generic-pae #33-Ubuntu SMP Build Server). Unlike other shell providers, NVITA also allows users to install packages with their permission.
But there are some flaws in their project because they allow too much background which could possibly be used for illegal activities. We could not deny the fact that some users may tend to abuse their privileges as a user like using it for udpflooding, tcpflooding, hosting botnets, scanning SSH, etc. because of allowing too much background processes. Maybe next time they should put some limit to prevent abuses in their server.
But there are some flaws in their project because they allow too much background which could possibly be used for illegal activities. We could not deny the fact that some users may tend to abuse their privileges as a user like using it for udpflooding, tcpflooding, hosting botnets, scanning SSH, etc. because of allowing too much background processes. Maybe next time they should put some limit to prevent abuses in their server.
But in the long run, NVITA is still one of the best shell account providers for allowing us to connect to their server with good services despite the said flaws. NVITA offered free shells which are not meant to be abused but meant for a purpose thus we should use it ethically. It’s now up to the user where he wants to use it as long as it does not violate the ethical laws of Internet and computers.
About the Contributor:
Shipcode is an InfoSec enthusiast from Cebu. During his high school days he was just an ordinary script kiddie. He loves to search for web exploits and other issues concerning network / wireless security.
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