[vox-tech] How can I configure SSH for passwordless auth?

[Mark K. Kim]

Hmm... so...

Let's say the permissions were set so that I could copy your encrypted key
to my directory.  Then I ssh out to Ken's home system.  Then what happens?

Thanks!

-Mark


On Thu, 14 Nov 2002, Samuel Merritt wrote:

> There's a program called ssh-agent that takes care of just this problem.
> The keys are stored encrypted on disk with a passphrase; you run
> ssh-agent, and it creates a process and a socket that ssh processes can
> connect to in order to get the decrypted keys. You run ssh-add <keyfile>
> and enter the passphrase, and then you can ssh anywhere using that key
> without needing the passphrase again.
>
> It's not quite completely passwordless, but it avoids the problem of
> storing keys in the clear on disk.
>
>
> On Thu, Nov 14, 2002 at 06:38:00PM -0800, Mark K. Kim wrote:
> > Hmm...  Not an expert here, but...
> >
> > If you setup the system so you can login from CSIF to your home machine
> > without password checking then anyone who works for CSIF can become you
> > and access your home machine as you... right?
> >
> > I guess the same would apply if someone can read your key ring so... set
> > the permissions correctly.
> >
> > -Mark
> >
> >
> > On Thu, 14 Nov 2002, Samuel Merritt wrote:
> >
> > > On Thu, Nov 14, 2002 at 12:26:40PM -0800, Ken Bloom wrote:
> > > > I'd like to be able to login to my account in the CSIF lab with the
> > > > standard DSA or RSA mechanism in SSH so that I don't have to enter a
> > > > password when I log in. I've tried following the directions on the ssh
> > > > manpage, and the ssh-agent manpage to no avail.
> > > >
> > > > Can someone give me directions how to configure this? My username is the
> > > > same on both systems, and my goal is to turn this into a bidirectional
> > > > process, so I can connect to CSIF from my computer or connect to my
> > > > computer from CSIF.
> > >
> > > The CSIF uses commercial SSH, not OpenSSH.
> > >
> > > First, you'll need to convert your public key to SECSH format.
> > > "ssh-keygen -e -f public_key_file" is the tool for this job.
> > >
> > > Then, on the CSIF, create ".ssh2" in your $HOME, if it isn't already
> > > there. Put your SECSH-format public key into $HOME/.ssh2/some_filename
> > > and then put the line "key some_filename" into
> > > $HOME/.ssh2/authorization.
> > >
> > > That'll get you set up for public-key authenticated logins to the CSIF.
> > > Coming from the CSIF is largely the same process, but in reverse.
> > >
> > > --
> > > Samuel Merritt
> > > OpenPGP key is at http://meat.andcheese.org/~spam/spam_at_andcheese_dot_org.asc
> > > Information about PGP can be found at http://www.mindspring.com/~aegreene/pgp/
> > >
> >
> > --
> > Mark K. Kim
> > http://www.cbreak.org/
> > PGP key available upon request.
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > vox-tech mailing list
> > vox-tech@lists.lugod.org
> > http://lists.lugod.org/mailman/listinfo/vox-tech
>
> --
> Samuel Merritt
> OpenPGP key is at http://meat.andcheese.org/~spam/spam_at_andcheese_dot_org.asc
> Information about PGP can be found at http://www.mindspring.com/~aegreene/pgp/
>

-- 
Mark K. Kim
http://www.cbreak.org/
PGP key available upon request.