Changing the Astronaut SSH password

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The Astronaut SSH tunnel is enabled by default using a *nix login ID of client9260 with a default password of not#1sostrong. It is in the /etc/passwd file. You can change it via the passwd command as root. Make sure that the passwords agree on the client side. It runs with no shell and exist only for client communication.

Change Astronaut SSH shortcut

The "Astronaut SSH" shortcut that is used to invoke the PuTTY SSH client uses a command line: 

"C:\Program Files\VistA\Putty\putty.exe" -ssh -l %ASTRO_SSH_clientID% -pw %ASTRO_SSH_CLIENT_PASS% -L %ASTRO_PORT%:127.0.0.1:%ASTRO_PORT% %ASTRO_SSH_HOST%

The individual environment variables must be specified if you do not have privileges to specify environment variables. For example:

  •  %ASTRO_SSH_clientID% -> client9260 (this is the default value)
  •  %ASTRO_SSH_CLIENT_PASS% -> not#1sostrong (this is the default value)
  •  %ASTRO_PORT% -> 9260
  •  %ASTRO_SSH_HOST% -> 192.168.56.101 (use the IP address or URL of the installed VistA server)

If using a Astronaut SSH shortcut would therefore be: 

"C:\Program Files\VistA\Putty\putty.exe" -ssh -l client9260 -pw not#1sostrong -L 9260:127.0.0.1:9260 192.168.56.101

This is an optional step for more security and for networks where there are multiple servers on the network using SSH connections. (In some networking configurations it is difficult for a router to know to which SSH server it should forward port 22 traffic). This method involves changing the port for the SSH (tunnel) traffic.

Changing Windows environment variables and shortcuts

Start Menu -> Control Panel -> Settings -> Advanced system settings -> Advanced -> Environment variables

There is also an Astronaut utility that brings up the environment variables:

Start Menu -> Programs -> Astronaut -> Sessions -> Client Variables -> Environment Variables

A list of the environment variables is displayed.

-> System variables: New... ->
-> Variable Name: ASTRO_SSH_PORT
-> Variable Value: 22144
Although in this example I used the value 22144 (instead of the default value 22) for the SSH port, obviously this is the (somewhat arbitrary) value that is going to be chosen as your private SSH port number. Clearly whichever port value you choose will need to be forwarded by your LAN router and firewalls appropriately opened to allow traffic on this port.

Change Astronaut SSH shortcut

The "Astronaut SSH" shortcut that is used to invoke the PuTTY SSH client uses a command line: 

"C:\Program Files\VistA\Putty\putty.exe" -ssh -l %ASTRO_SSH_clientID% -pw %ASTRO_SSH_CLIENT_PASS% -L %ASTRO_PORT%:127.0.0.1:%ASTRO_PORT% %ASTRO_SSH_HOST%

This must be changed to add the additional variable: 

"C:\Program Files\VistA\Putty\putty.exe" -ssh -l %ASTRO_SSH_clientID% -pw %ASTRO_SSH_CLIENT_PASS% -L %ASTRO_PORT%:127.0.0.1:%ASTRO_PORT% %ASTRO_SSH_HOST% -P %ASTRO_SSH_PORT%

If using a manual configuration (for protected environments or on a USB drive, for example) the revised Astronaut SSH shortcut would be similar to: 

"C:\Program Files\VistA\Putty\putty.exe" -ssh -l client9260 -pw not#1sostrong -L 9260:127.0.0.1:9260 192.168.56.101 -P 22144

Change Text client shortcut

The "Text client" shortcut that is used to invoke the Text client uses a command line: 

"C:\Program Files\VistA\Putty\putty.exe" -P 22 %ASTRO_SSH_HOST% -l %ASTRO_textID% -pw %ASTRO_TEXT_PASS%

The revised Text client shortcut would therefore be: 

"C:\Program Files\VistA\Putty\putty.exe" -P %ASTRO_SSH_PORT% %ASTRO_SSH_HOST% -l %ASTRO_textID% -pw %ASTRO_TEXT_PASS%

If using a manual configuration (for protected environments or on a USB drive, for example) the revised Text client shortcut would be similar to: 

"C:\Program Files\VistA\Putty\putty.exe" -P 22144 192.168.56.101 -l text9260 -pw not#1sostrong

Changing the OpenSSH listening port on the VistA server

  • In brief, from the Ubuntu Server command-line terminal edit the OpenSSH configuration file:
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
  • Change the line:
port 22
to the port of your desired SSH tunnel:
port 22144
  • Restart OpenSSH:
sudo /etc/init.d/ssh restart
  • Don't forget to configure your firewall (if any) on the Ubuntu Server to allow the new SSH port (e.g. 22144) through.
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