SDF Public Access UNIX System, Inc

Free Unix Shell, donation supported, account capability dependent on donation support level.

www.freeshell.org or sdf.lonestar.org

to create a free account, telnet (or ssh) to telnet://sdf.lonestar.org

you can set up your mail program (pine) to access mail of any other server (including gmail, and those that need SSL POP connections), and then you can forward them as attachments to Spamcop.

(forwarding with Pine: http://forum.spamcop.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=4644#)

I don't remember off the top of my head what is and isn't available as a base level, free account (actually, I think they now require a $1 token donation for a persistent account to cut down on abuse), but I think it's a fairly useful amount of stuff virtually for free. Also a good place to cut your teeth on Unix.

edit: from the site, here's what free accounts have

FREE Default Shell (users)
--------------------------
. Access to email (elm/mutt/pine/mailx) OR pop3
. Local chat (com/send/bboard)
. Choice of UNIX shell
. Hundreds of shell utilities, games and programs
. Network utilities: ping, finger, whois, traceroute
. 20 MB disk quota for your email
. 20 MB disk quota for your home directory
. 20 MB disk quota for your webspace (yourlogin.freeshell.org)
. 20 MB disk quota for your gopherspace

*that's right... GOPHERspace. some people still acknowledge that gopher exists..

Wonder what it would take to get SSH access? I don't trust telnet. :-) I'd like to have a backup IP that I could trust so I could SSH into it and then SSH into my box at home if there was ever a problem, especially from a public system, say an internet cafe or something. My linux box at home is set to deny all SSH attempts from anywhere but two IP addresses and now only one of them works because I have it locked down to ssh2-only.

according to:
http://www.freeshell.org/index.cgi?faq?HACKER?07
ssh is available.

You have to pay $36 to become an arpa member to get ssh access.

I have a couple domains that I'd like to put something in the MX Records for. Could I set up some kind of mailserver on that Unix shell and point the MX Records (and my POP3 client, to pick up the @domain.com e-mails) there?

I hardly know anything about Unix so I have to ask...

Very cool find. I remember back when all ISP accounts came with a shell account, a web page, email account, etc. Then all the shell access was locked out when people started using them to run eggdrop bot networks and crap. Now, all you have is a cpanel on a webhost.

Here are some telnet clients to use instead of the crappy java one on the page and the default telnet.exe in Windows:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telnet#Windows