Unix shell connections to the IRES server should be made using the ssh remote login protocol. File transfer connections should use the scp or sftp protocols. (The previous research server, LARK, accepted telnet and ftp connections but in order to provide increased security IRES does not.)

SSH and SCP are available through the terminal utility application included with Macintosh OS X and the Windows open source SSH client PuTTY which can be downloaded for free from softpedia.com.

X Window graphical connections can be set up using the X11 software that comes with Macintosh OS X or the Windows Cygwin/X interface available for download from x.cygwin.com (install both X and ssh). When establishing an X Window connection from an OS X xterm window use the -Y option:
    ssh -Y username@ires.ku.edu
When connecting from a Cygwin xterm window use the -X option:
    ssh -X username@ires.ku.edu