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

[Matt Price]

On Mon, 2007-01-29 at 12:00 -0600, Brian Fahrlander wrote:
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> Matt Price wrote:
> > 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
> 
>     These three are a problem, if you're using keys- it can't find'em.
> 
> > -----------------------------------------------------
> > 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,
> 
>     It's a good idea, if it's anywhere *near* the net, to use keys on
> ssh.  There are dozens of howtos. Basically you make a key on one side,
> and copy the public half into
> remotesystem:/home/username/.ssh/authorized_keys.  It makes life a lot
> easier and safer.  And be sure to turn off password authentication, BTW.
> 
>     It's not your answer, but it's all the help I can provide; maybe
> it'll help until the real gurus get here.
> 
>     My guess is that you've gotten permissions on your user's files
> over-written by root at some point, but that's just a guess.

well...  it can't find the keys only because, in a fit of anxiety over
this issue I moved my .ssh out of the way.  should have said that.
ordinarily I do use keys, as you suggest.  and alas, the
root-oeverwriting is something I did htink of, and that's not the case. 

thanks though!
matt


> - --
>  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  Brian Fahrländer                 Christian, Conservative, and Technomad
>  Evansville, IN                              http://Fahrlander.net/brian
>  ICQ: 5119262                         AOL/Yahoo/GoogleTalk: WheelDweller
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-- 
Matt Price
History Dept
University of Toronto
matt.price at utoronto.ca
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