Zach Dennis said:
> Hi,
>
> This question may be better suited for a SSH list, but it involves VNC so
> here goes. I just need simple clarification.

Yes, this is an SSH question.  It only involves VNC because that is what
you are tunneling.  (Almost) any TCP protocol communication can be
tunneled.

> I have a VNC Server on my Linux Server and I can connect to it from my
> WinXP
> box just fine. I set up tunneling on my WinXP box using the following
> command:
>
> ssh -L 5905:localhost:5901    [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
> And I open my VNC Viewer and connect to 'localhost:5' and it connects. So
> here's my question...What is actually being secured?

SSH uses the same port 22 for tunneling as it does for terminal
communication.  So communciation from your WinXP box to it's local port
5905 is being encrypted by the SSH server and sent to your Linux box over
port 22.  Then the SSH server decrypts the traffic and sends it to your
Linux box's port 5901.  There's a good diagram at
http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/sshwin.html .

> Does the Linux VNC
> Server know to decrypt or 'un-ssh' what it receives on port 5901?

No.  As far as the VNC server is concerned, it is talking to the Linux box
completely unencrypted.  This is what makes SSH able to tunnel so many
protocols transparently.

> Am I
> missing a big part of what I am doing?

Not a big part, you just need to do some more research.

-- 
William Hooper
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