How To Install Telnet on Debian 12

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Telnet on Debian 12. Telnet, a network protocol that allows users to communicate with remote computers, is known for its simplicity and wide usage in network diagnostics and development utilities. However, it’s important to note that Telnet lacks encryption, making it vulnerable to unauthorized access and data interception. For secure operations, alternatives like SSH are recommended.

This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the Telnet on a Debian 12 (Bookworm).

Prerequisites

• A server running one of the following operating systems: Debian 12 (Bookworm).
• It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
• SSH access to the server (or just open Terminal if you’re on a desktop).
• An active internet connection. You’ll need an internet connection to download the necessary packages and dependencies for Telnet.
• A user account with sudo privileges to execute administrative commands.

Install Telnet on Debian 12 Bookworm

Step 1. Before installing Telnet, ensure your Debian operating system is up-to-date. Updating the system helps you get the latest security patches and package improvements. Run the following command to update and upgrade all existing packages on your system:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 2. Installing Telnet on Debian 12.

Debian’s repositories provide the Telnet package by default, which can be easily installed using the apt package manager. To install the Telnet package, execute the following command:

sudo apt install telnetd

After installation, it’s important to verify that the Telnet service is running correctly. Use the following command to check the status of the Telnet service:

sudo systemctl status inetd

Step 3. Test Telnet Connection.

Once Telnet is installed, testing the connection is crucial to ensure it’s functioning as expected. To connect to your remote server using Telnet, execute:

telnet 192.168.77.20

Replace 192.168.77.20 with the IP address of your server. A successful connection will present you with the Telnet prompt, allowing interaction with the remote server.

You should see the following output:

Trying 192.168.77.20...
Connected to 192.168.77.20.
Escape character is '^]'.
Debian 12
debian11 login: idroot
Password:

Step 4. Secure Telnet with UFW.

While Telnet itself does not provide encryption, securing your server with a firewall can add a layer of protection. Uncomplicated Firewall (UFW) is a user-friendly tool for managing iptables firewall rules. To install and enable UFW, run:

sudo apt install ufw
sudo ufw enable

Set default policies and allow Telnet through the firewall:

sudo ufw allow 23/tcp

Finally, reload UFW to apply the changes:

sudo ufw reload

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Telnet. Thanks for using this tutorial to install the latest version of the Telnet on Debian 12 Bookworm. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official Debian website.