How to set up ssh connection to another system using "Passwords and Encryption Keys"?

[Tim Frost]

On Thu, 2009-12-17 at 17:03 +0000, Chris G wrote:
> Can anyone point me at some instructions which show how to set up an
> ssh connection using the Passwords/Keys kept in "Passwords and
> Encryption Keys" (that's actually seahorse).

If you have an SSH user key that is loaded, then you can use that key
for any/all hosts that you want to log in to.  On the initiating side,
there are several factors that need to be considered:
1: If the remote end needs particular settings, they can be
       set in .ssh/config:
  - you can set the remote userid
  - you can force the SSH protocol version
  - you can explicitly force the X11 and pot forwarding settings

2: To get 'passwordless' authentication, you need to ensure that the
public key matching the private SSH key loaded into seahorse (or an
alternative SSH key agent) is in place for all servers that you need
access to.  Servers that run openssh support this, with a list of SSH
public keys in file '$HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys', which can be used to
log in without supplying a password

Ubuntu provides a tool, ssh-copy-id,  which takes the list of private
keys in your agent (which may be seahorse, ssh-agent or an alternative
program), and appending the corresponding public keys to the file
'.ssh/authorized_keys' on the server.  That tool asks once for your
password on the server.


If the correct key (or keys) have been copied, then you should be able
to use SSH to access the remote system without providing the password
for the remote system.


 
> 
> I've hunted and hunted but can't find anywhere that gives step by step
> instructions on how to do it.  E.g. I want something like:-
> 
>     1 - Create a new XXX entry in "Passwords and Encryption Keys"
>     2 - Copy the public key to the remote system
>     3 - Logout and log back in again
>     4 - ssh to the remote system should now work 'passwordless'
> 
> I need to know what needs to be installed and running on the system as
> well as a "what the user does" sequence.  Currently I have done
> something like the sequence outlined above but it simply doesn't work
> at all.
> 
> -- 
> Chris Green
> 
> 


-- 
Tim Frost <timfrost at xtra.co.nz>