Using SecureCRT® for Windows® and SecureFX® On a U3 Smart Drive

Note: This tip is for use with SecureFX 6.0 and later and SecureCRT for Windows® 6.0 and later.

Introduction

Taking your applications with you on a U3 smart drive is a popular option with highly mobile SecureCRT for Windows and SecureFX users. For those of you who travel between work computers, manage a large number of network devices, or provide end-user support and troubleshooting, you can maximize your productivity by taking your customized copy of SecureCRT with you wherever you go, complete with all your sessions, login scripts, and other key settings. This tip shows you how to install and run applications on U3. Licensing of U3 and standard installations are also discussed. Finally, we point out a few ways you can tweak your system for maximum portability on U3.

Installation and Configuration

Starting with the 6.0 release, a special installer is available for U3 smart drives that sets up the programs so you can easily run them. The installer places a U3-specific set of files on the drive and makes the program icon available in the U3 launcher. Files are placed differently than you would see on a standard hard drive setup. The program files run from a compressed archive, so you will not see a "SecureCRT.exe" file.

Download the U3 installer from the VanDyke Software website to a machine you can connect your USB drive to. When the download is finished, connect the U3 drive to a USB port, then double-click the downloaded .exe file from Windows Explorer. The Install/Upgrade Program wizard will open; follow the instructions and click "Done" when the wizard is finished.

Note: If you try to install the downloaded .exe from the Launchpad Install Programs menu, you will receive an error.

Now you are ready to run SecureCRT or SecureFX. Click on the U3 icon on the Windows taskbar to bring up the U3 Launchpad. Select the application you want to run from the list or from the SecureCRT/SecureFX Launcher if both are installed. When the U3 copy of SecureCRT or SecureFX runs for the first time, it looks for a local installation and gives you the choice to import an existing configuration. If you choose to import, the applications copy config files to the U3 drive and change path settings accordingly.

Note: Only files that are currently being used (referenced in session configuration) are imported. So if you have five identity files but are only using three of them, only three will be imported.

SecureCRT or SecureFX files transferred include identity key files, the host key database, session files including default session, login scripts, and keymaps. Files that have to be manually transferred include web browser settings, log filenames, and SecureFX local and remote directories. For a complete list of configuration files and locations, see the program Help topic "Using U3 Devices."

Running Applications

When you insert the U3 smart drive in the USB slot, an application launcher pops up on the Windows Taskbar with icons for any software installed on the drive. Just click on the icon to run your application. Because of the way U3 works, if you have both SecureCRT and SecureFX installed, you first start a launcher icon that lets you choose which program to run.

Licensing

The standard end-user license agreement allows you to install and run one copy of SecureCRT and SecureFX on multiple machines, as long as the software is in use on only one machine at a time. So, for example, if you use SecureCRT at your office desktop machine, close the application at the end of the day, then take a U3 drive with SecureCRT installed home with you, that situation only requires one license. However, if like many professional users you run SecureCRT on one work computer all day long, and you take a U3 copy to troubleshoot systems during the workday, that will require a separate license for the U3 installation (assuming that the machines you work on are not already licensed). If you have questions about licensing, please contact VanDyke Software Sales at .

Program Shutdown

Before removing the U3 drive from the USB port, close SecureCRT or SecureFX. Use the Launchpad Eject command before you remove the U3 drive. If you have SecureCRT or SecureFX running and remove the drive prematurely, it is possible that current program settings will not be saved.

Optimizing for U3

Here are some suggestions on how to best take advantage of a portable U3 installation.

• U3 environment variables: Two U3-specific environment substitution variables are provided: %u3data% and %u3doc%. They allow you to configure the applications so that features such as log files will work on any machine configuration. See the application Help for a complete list of U3-specific parameters.
• Keeping configuration synchronized: If you want to have identical sessions and configuration on all the machines you use, currently the only way to do this is to always run SecureCRT and SecureFX from the U3 drive, even on your desktop machine.
• "Start on insertion" option: From the U3 Launchpad Settings\Program settings selection, you can check the box for "Start on insertion" that will start SecureCRT and SecureFX immediately when you attach the U3 drive. If you have a SecureCRT auto session defined it will run when SecureCRT opens.

To learn more about the U3 technology, or to find a U3 smart drive device, visit the U3 website.