The Short Answer
You must create your own account by using SSH to login to "newuser@grex.org". There is no password. You can use a command line ssh client or a client like PuTTY (in which case the username is "newuser" and the host is "grex.org" and password is left blank). Answer the questions and provide a valid e-mail address. You'll receive an e-mail with a temporary password. Your new account will be all but worthless for doing anything with Unix, so you'll want to get "validated" and have a full Unix shell. Send an e-mail to porters@grex.org and request validation. Be sure to include in this e-mail your Grex user name from the account you created when you ran the newuser program. This user name will also be in the e-mail you received with your temporary password. Do not send requests to validate accounts which do not exist. Try logging in with the temporary password before requesting validation. If there are issues send them to help@grex.org.
Be patient. The validation process is done by human beings. It may take a day or more in some cases to validate your account.
The Details
With very few exceptions, Grex staff will not create accounts for users! Users create their own accounts by successfully completing Step 1 below. If you want access to more Unix commands, you need to request it. See Step 2 below.
If you are validly unable to set up your own account, let us know why and we can help.
BE AWARE: GREX DOES NOT ALLOW BOTS, BOUNCERS or PROXY CONNECTIONS. Please don't ask us how to make these work. Grex does allow the use of IRC clients. Grex has several such clients installed, including epic, irssi, sirc, and ircII. Please see the Grex FAQ on IRC. and the Grex FAQ on SSH proxy connections.
1. Create An Account
Grex's web-based new account creation system is currently being replaced. In the meantime, please create your own account on Grex by using SSH to login to the "newuser@grex.org" account. Leave the password blank, when prompted for one. If connecting with a terminal application such a PuTTY, then the username is "newuser", the host is "grex.org" and the password is left blank. Answer the questions and be sure to provide a valid e-mail address. Failure to provide a valid e-mail address will result in your account not being created. A valid e-mail address helps later if you need a password reset because we will look to see if the request comes from the e-mail address used to register the account.
Upon successful creation of your account, you will have very limited access to Unix shell commands. You will receive an e-mail with the login name you chose during the account creation process, and a temporary password. If you do not have a user name and did not receive an e-mail with your temporary password, then you did not successfuly complete the new user process and your account was not created on Grex. Try Step 1 above again.
If you did create an account with a user name and received the e-mail with your temporary password, make sure you can log in with the temporary password. If so, you are ready to get increased access to more shell commands and other services. Please follow Step 2. below.
PLEASE NOTE: Grex staff will not create accounts for users! Users create their own accounts as noted above. If you have a reason why you cannot follow the process listed here, let us know. We can, in rare instances, help with account creation.
To see if the account you created exists, enter the login name in the box below and submit it (this does a Unix "finger" command on the username you enter). This will display public information about the account, if it exists.
If no account information is returned, then your account does not exist on Grex. Go back to Step 1 and try again.
2. Request Increased Access
Do you have an existing login name on Grex with very limited Unix command access, but want access to more commands and other services? In order to avoid abuse, we require new users to go through a request process to get more access. By far the easiest way to get full, unrestricted access to Grex is to simply become a member for a month for 2.00 USD (for 6.00 USD, you get a three month membership that includes voting rights in the Grex organization. For $18 you get a one year membership. See: https://grex.org/member.xhtml).
You can let your membership lapse, if you like, but your access to Grex won't change unless you leave for an extended period of time, or somehow abuse the system.
If you don't want to spend any money for more access, then you can send email to porters@grex.org with an access request. You must have successfully completed the new account creation process in Step 1 above in order to do this. Don't forget to include your Grex login name in your e-mail request! Without it, we cannot increase your access to Grex. Your account will be restricted in outgoing access but you will still have access to most commands and a regular Unix shell.
Our automated helpdesk ticket system will reply to your request e-mail by sending a ticket number. Please do not reply to this automated response, or send additional e-mails for the same request to porters@grex.org as these while only create new helpdesk tickets (each of which will send you you an automated response). The more tickets we need to review will just slow down your answer more.
NOTE: Increased access is for accounts (with login names) which already exist on Grex. Requesting validation of non-existent accounts will not result in a validated account. If you do not have a Grex login name, follow the account creation instructions in Step 1 above. If you have a valid reason for not being able to create an account, let us know why and we can help.
Be Patient!
While we do our best to validate accounts within 24 hours, and often do so within minutes or a few hours, this is a volunteer organization. Real people do the validation, not some automated system. Our volunteers have lives and jobs that often consume most of their time. Holidays and work may interfere with their time available for Grex. In some rare cases validation may take up to a week. Sometimes we forget, too, so it doesn't hurt to check after a few days if your request is not completed. Thank you for your understanding.