Enter runs a shell command or sends a connection line. Up/Down recalls shell history. Tab completes at the shell. Ctrl+C interrupts.
Escape then Tab leaves the input; Shift+Tab moves backward. While connected, Tab navigates normally.
Shell versus connection input
A visible student@kali:~/lab$ prompt means the shell is ready. Once Netcat connects or listens, its process owns that terminal and the shell prompt disappears. Entering ls in a conversation sends those characters to the peer. Interrupt Netcat before entering shell commands.
Both terminal panes use the same simulated workstation and filesystem. The address 127.0.0.1 is its loopback address. On two separate real machines, a client would need the listening machine's reachable address.
The guide marks keyboard actions and blank lines explicitly. Do not type the bracketed instruction for the empty line. A timeout uses real seconds, and the -w option does not time out a listener. A listening session can wait indefinitely until a client connects or you interrupt it.
Files, scope, and tool reference
Everything runs inside this single HTML file. Hosts, banners, and messages are fictional. No network packets, shell processes, downloads, or uploads occur. Files and progress last until reset or reload. Selecting a mission closes current sessions and returns both panes to ~/lab, retaining files, history, and completed steps. Entering Mission 4 also clears Terminal A’s display.
Supported shell commands: help, nc -h, pwd, ls, cd, mkdir, cat, history, and clear. The guided literal printf-to-nc pipeline and output redirection are supported. General shell execution and arbitrary pipelines are outside this model. > replaces existing file contents.
This activity models the Linux Debian netcat-openbsd variant. Its -C converts line endings, and -N shuts down sending after end of input. Other variants differ. A banner identifies what a service reports; it does not establish a vulnerability.
Aligned with Chapter 4 sections 4.2 and 4.6. Netcat command reference (optional internet link).