Linux setup for SSH password less login.

There are many times when I do not want to always keep typing in passwords to log into local servers. Not only that, I do not want to be typing passwords when people are watching.  If you run a primarily linux network like I do then this can be a real boon to your use of the systems not to have to do the traditional login. So we will need a way to authenticate to the systems we want to use..

There was traditionally two kinds of authentication. RSA and DSA. RSA should not be used any more.  Public key authentication can only be established on a per system / user basis only i.e. it is not system wide. You will be setting up ssh with DSA public key authentication for SSH version 2 on two machines.

Note: you will need to be able to use the command line/terminal for this project.

Note: For both the server and the client port 22 should be changed to some number above 1024 that is an unused port.  Both numbers must be the same unless you are an advanced user,  Other settings should be changed as well. (i.e. disable root access)

$ sudo vim /etc/ssh/sshd_config

# Package generated configuration file
# See the sshd_config(5) manpage for details

# What ports, IPs and protocols we listen for
Port 22

The nmap command is a good way remotely to determine what ports are being used. You may like this instructable also:  http://www.instructables.com/id/Linux-screen-play/

Step 1 What do you need?

#1 machine : Client machine with ssh installed

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install ssh

#2 machine : A remote server with ssh and openssh-server

$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install ssh openssh-server

Note: I usually add openssh-server to all machines except those I do not want there to be ssh access.

Comments

[J-Manoo7]

"vivek" as in Vivek Ramachandran?

[Computothought]

No clue, but I did catch a couple major errors I made and corrected them. At that time is was very easy to lose work you did and then have to constantly re-enter instructables. Very frustrating The site is more more stable now. I think I too much in a hurry and forgot to check my work. I apologise to anyone who followed the old directions.