Getting Started

SSH Connection to an SSH Communications Security Tectia Server using a Key File

1.Follow the instructions in the previous section for using a keyfile with openSSH up to and including step 12.

2.If they do not already exist you need to create a directory ~/.ssh2 and a text file within it called authorization.

3.Create another text file and paste your key into it. For example:

cat > mykey.pub Control V Control C

4.Add the following line to the authorization file : key mykey.pub

5.You then have to edit your key file as follows: Remove ssh-dsaor ssh-rsafrom the start of the key. Remove Comment from the end of the key.

Insert the following lines before the key:

—— BEGIN SSH2 PUBLIC KEY —— Subject: Your name

Comment:

And add the following line after the key:

—— END SSH2 PUBLIC KEY ——

6. You should then be able to connect to the server using your keyfile.

SSHKeyFilePermissions

If you find that public key authentication does not work when you have copied your public key to authorized_keys, it is probably because the file permissions on $HOME, $HOME/.ssh or $HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys are more permissive than SSH allows by default. This may be resolved by executing the following on the server:

$ chmod go-w $HOME $HOME/.ssh

$ chmod 600 $HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys

If this is not possible for some reason, an alternative is to set StrictModes no in sshd_config, however this is not recommended.

More information can be found at http://www.openssh.com/faq.html.

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