Shells FAQ

What distro is the shell server running?

Debian stable (lenny at the time of writing)

How do I request a shell?

You go here and fill out the form.

How long does it take for my request to be approved (or rejected)?

It varies, depending on whether or not one of our staff is currently logged in, between a few seconds and a few hours.

As a rule of thumb we always try to process your request within 24 hours.

My shell request was approved, now what do I do?

You can log in by directing your ssh client to insomnia247.nl

What is an SSH client?

You should be asking yourself if you really need a shell if you need to ask this, but I digress.

On windows you can use PuTTY

Will my account expire?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, at least not as long as we continue to host shells.

Am I allowed to run PsyBNC/znc/shroudbnc/Eggdrop/...

Yes you are allowed to run a wide variety of software, if you have doubts about a specific software package please ask us about it on irc. Any sort of gameserver and mail transfer agents are disallowed by default.

We ask you to download all sources at the official websites to avoid any backdoored source. If your processes are backdoored your account can be suspended without notice.

I'm running <random server X> what ports am I allowed to use?

Ports 5000-5500 are forwarded to the shell server. You can use the 'port' command to see what ports are available to you.

For more information on ports, go here shells_ports

There is a package not installed, can you install it?

Usually it will not be a problem to install packages that are available in the debian stable repository.

Drop by on IRC if you have a request.

My account has been suspended, what did I do and can it be undone?

Feel free to drop by on IRC to explain the situation. Please do keep it civil.

If a misunderstanding led to your suspension the staff may re-evaluate it.

Any decision made by the staff is completely at their discretion.

I deleted a file I still need. Help!

Our server runs automated backups of all home directories at 5:40am (local time), each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

For more information about backups go to Shells_backup

I need help with my website

Please visit our dedicated page for this Shells_websites

How do I request an SVN repository / MySQL database?

Go to Usermin and log in with your username and password.

You will find a form to request these additional resources under Applications -> Custom commands.

My question isn't listed. What now?

Your best bet is to drop by our IRC (irc.insomnia247.nl in #shells)

Alternatively, you can email us (cool_fire_666@hotmail.com is probably your contact address)