Much like a few recent posts, I am trying to get key auth working. In fact, I've done it several times before, but I can't remember how I got it to work. I'm sure that I'm missing something simple, so I'll post the entire process that I use. BTW, will messed up DNS cause it to use passwords instead of keys? Empty passphrases wont mess it up, will they? (I'm only using empty ones for testing). (Openssh 2.9p2 & Redhat 7.0 on both sides) NOTES: - box that you want to log INTO, is SERVER. - box that you want to run ssh or scp FROM, without using password, is CLIENT #FROM CLIENT: #generate key (once), use defaults (rsa1, .ssh/identity, no passphrase, etc.) ssh-keygen #copy public key to server scp .ssh/identity.pub SERVER:/root/CLIENT.identity.pub #start ssh-agent the correct way. eval `ssh-agent` #tell agent about our private key ssh-add .ssh/identity #FROM SERVER: #allow public key, (does NOT go in authorized_keys2 file) cat CLIENT.identity.pub >> .ssh/authorized_keys That is the process I do to setup key auth. What is it missing? Here is what I get when I test it: (Of special note, IMHO, is: debug2: userauth_pubkey_agent: no keys at all debug2: userauth_pubkey_agent: no more keys debug2: userauth_pubkey_agent: no message sent ) Thanks for any light you can shed! -Dan PS. Is there any other mailing list archives besides those at: http://marc.theaimsgroup.com/?l=openssh-unix-dev, which seems to be mostly a developer-oriented archive. [root@C837140-A /root]# ssh -v -v -v 206.159.27.164 OpenSSH_2.9p2, SSH protocols 1.5/2.0, OpenSSL 0x0090581f debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config debug1: Seeding random number generator debug1: Rhosts Authentication disabled, originating port will not be trusted. debug1: restore_uid debug1: ssh_connect: getuid 0 geteuid 0 anon 1 debug1: Connecting to 206.159.27.164 [206.159.27.164] port 2022. debug1: temporarily_use_uid: 0/0 (e=0) debug1: restore_uid debug1: temporarily_use_uid: 0/0 (e=0) debug1: restore_uid debug1: Connection established. debug1: read PEM private key done: type DSA debug1: read PEM private key done: type RSA debug1: identity file /root/.ssh/identity type 0 debug1: identity file /root/.ssh/id_rsa type -1 debug1: identity file /root/.ssh/id_dsa type -1 debug1: Remote protocol version 1.99, remote software version OpenSSH_2.9p2 debug1: match: OpenSSH_2.9p2 pat ^OpenSSH Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0 debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_2.9p2 debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael128-cbc,rijndael192-cbc,rijndael256-cbc,[EMAIL PROTECTED] debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael128-cbc,rijndael192-cbc,rijndael256-cbc,[EMAIL PROTECTED] debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,[EMAIL PROTECTED],hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,[EMAIL PROTECTED],hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael128-cbc,rijndael192-cbc,rijndael256-cbc,[EMAIL PROTECTED] debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael128-cbc,rijndael192-cbc,rijndael256-cbc,[EMAIL PROTECTED] debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,[EMAIL PROTECTED],hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,[EMAIL PROTECTED],hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0 debug2: mac_init: found hmac-md5 debug1: kex: server->client aes128-cbc hmac-md5 none debug2: mac_init: found hmac-md5 debug1: kex: client->server aes128-cbc hmac-md5 none debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REQUEST sent debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP debug1: dh_gen_key: priv key bits set: 125/256 debug1: bits set: 993/2049 debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: filename /root/.ssh/known_hosts2 debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 1 debug1: Host '206.159.27.164' is known and matches the RSA host key. debug1: Found key in /root/.ssh/known_hosts2:1 debug1: bits set: 1018/2049 debug1: ssh_rsa_verify: signature correct debug1: kex_derive_keys debug1: newkeys: mode 1 debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent debug1: waiting for SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS debug1: newkeys: mode 0 debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received debug1: done: ssh_kex2. debug1: send SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST debug1: service_accept: ssh-userauth debug1: got SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT debug1: authentications that can continue: publickey,password,keyboard-interactive debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey,password,keyboard-interactive debug3: preferred publickey,password,keyboard-interactive debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey debug3: remaining preferred: password,keyboard-interactive debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey debug1: next auth method to try is publickey debug2: userauth_pubkey_agent: no keys at all debug2: userauth_pubkey_agent: no more keys debug2: userauth_pubkey_agent: no message sent debug1: try privkey: /root/.ssh/id_rsa debug3: no such identity: /root/.ssh/id_rsa debug1: try privkey: /root/.ssh/id_dsa debug3: no such identity: /root/.ssh/id_dsa debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method debug3: authmethod_lookup password debug3: remaining preferred: keyboard-interactive debug3: authmethod_is_enabled password debug1: next auth method to try is password [EMAIL PROTECTED]'s password: debug2: packet_inject_ignore: current 57 debug2: packet_inject_ignore: block 16 have 4 nb 4 mini 1 need 4 debug2: we sent a password packet, wait for reply debug1: ssh-userauth2 successful: method password debug3: clear hostkey 0 debug3: clear hostkey 1 debug3: clear hostkey 2 debug1: channel 0: new [client-session] debug1: channel_new: 0 debug1: send channel open 0 debug1: Entering interactive session. debug2: callback start debug1: client_init id 0 arg 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: ospeed 38400 debug2: tty_make_modes: ispeed 38400 debug2: tty_make_modes: 1 3 debug2: tty_make_modes: 2 28 debug2: tty_make_modes: 3 127 debug2: tty_make_modes: 4 21 debug2: tty_make_modes: 5 4 debug2: tty_make_modes: 6 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 7 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 8 17 debug2: tty_make_modes: 9 19 debug2: tty_make_modes: 10 26 debug2: tty_make_modes: 12 18 debug2: tty_make_modes: 13 23 debug2: tty_make_modes: 14 22 debug2: tty_make_modes: 18 15 debug2: tty_make_modes: 30 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 31 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 32 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 33 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 34 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 35 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 36 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 37 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 38 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 39 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 40 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 41 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 50 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 51 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 52 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 53 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 54 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 55 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 56 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 57 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 58 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 59 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 60 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 61 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 62 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 70 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 71 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 72 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 73 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 74 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 75 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 90 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 91 1 debug2: tty_make_modes: 92 0 debug2: tty_make_modes: 93 0 debug1: channel request 0: shell debug2: callback done debug1: channel 0: open confirm rwindow 0 rmax 16384 debug2: channel 0: rcvd adjust 32768 Last login: Fri Jun 22 16:39:59 2001 from c837140-a.vncvr1.wa.home.com [root@mail /root]# Dan Browning, Cyclone Computer Systems, [EMAIL PROTECTED]