Colin-

Thanks for the comment.  I agree that such a script should undergo a
*thorough* review before being accepted into our openssh-server package.

I also see your point, that ssh-copy-id is doing it's work over ssh
itself.

In the default configuration, ssh-import-id works against Launchpad.net,
over SSL, with a valid certificate.  SSL should prevent both
eavesdropping and tampering, end-to-end, between the client and the
server, and the server should be authenticated to the client (assuming a
valid certificate and a 3rd party certificate authority).  An invalid
certificate will fail the wget, and prevent a key from being written.
This would mean that we'd need to keep our certificate current for
Launchpad.net, which I'd hope is a safe assumption.  And anyone
modifying their URL parameter would need to expect the same from their
keyserver.

The SSL assumption is a safe one (in my opinion), as it is the same
assumption we make as we conduct all sorts of private, critical business
over https everyday.

Also, this script runs as a non-privileged user, modifying their own
authorized_keys file, obviously something they could do on their own.  I
don't think it does anything special, tricky, or exceptional in this
way.

Finally, I'd argue that the utility is non-intrusive.  It doesn't change
the behavior of anything else in SSH, or interrupt any other operations.

I'm certainly willing to work the FFe end of this and try to get it
accepted ASAP (Alpha3?), as it's something I really believe can make our
Ubuntu Server EC2/UEC images stand out among available images.  If that
means this script should live in one of our cloud-* packages for Lucid,
so be it.

I just thought that openssh-server would be the appropriate home for
such a utility (eventually), and I thought I'd start a conversation
here.

Thanks,
:-Dustin

-- 
ssh-import-id: retrieve a key from a public keyserver and add to the 
authorized_keys file
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/524226
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