ssh failure: can't ssh out as user, but root works

[Matt Price]

hi there,

having a very frustrating problem that developed all of a sudden with no
obvious cause.  when trying to ssh out of my laptop, I find myself
unable to do so. ssh -vv [host] produces the following (fairly lengthy
but I suppose the relevant info is at the bottom):
------------------------------------
$ ssh -vv  racesci
OpenSSH_4.3p2 Debian-7ubuntu1, OpenSSL 0.9.8c 05 Sep 2006
debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config
debug1: Applying options for *
debug2: ssh_connect: needpriv 0
debug1: Connecting to racesci [128.100.34.8] port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug1: identity file /home/matt/.ssh/identity type -1
debug1: identity file /home/matt/.ssh/id_rsa type -1
debug1: identity file /home/matt/.ssh/id_dsa type -1
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version
OpenSSH_4.2p1 Debian-7ubuntu3
debug1: match: OpenSSH_4.2p1 Debian-7ubuntu3 pat OpenSSH*
debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_4.3p2 Debian-7ubuntu1
debug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug1: An invalid name was supplied
Configuration file does not specify default realm

debug1: An invalid name was supplied
A parameter was malformed
Validation error

debug1: An invalid name was supplied
Configuration file does not specify default realm

debug1: An invalid name was supplied
A parameter was malformed
Validation error

debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-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,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc at lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc at lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160 at openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160 at openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib at openssh.com,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib at openssh.com,zlib
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-group14-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,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc at lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour128,arcfour256,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc at lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160 at openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160 at openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib at openssh.com
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib at openssh.com
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(1024<1024<8192) sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP
debug2: dh_gen_key: priv key bits set: 128/256
debug2: bits set: 521/1024
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY
debug1: Host 'racesci' is known and matches the RSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /home/matt/.ssh/known_hosts:1
debug2: bits set: 502/1024
debug1: ssh_rsa_verify: signature correct
debug2: kex_derive_keys
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 1
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS
debug2: set_newkeys: mode 0
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST sent
debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth
debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received

-----------------------------------------------------
at this point ssh hangs indefinitely.  r

The same command also hangs if I sudo -s, but if I instead try 
su - root, all of a sudden ssh works again.  THis is very odd.  I tried
moving my .ssh directory out of the way but had no luck.  would loveto
hear back from someone who actually understands what's going on!  I rely
on ssh for day-to-day work so this is very debilitating.  thanks,

matt




-- 
Matt Price
History Dept
University of Toronto
matt.price at utoronto.ca
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