Question

sftp without identity file?

Asked by: metrion

Hi all,

I have a client that wants to set up an automated process to get and retrieve files from our ssh server without being prompted for passwords. So I got their ssh key and set it up. At first they weren't using the option argument on the command line, such as:

sftp -o "IdentityFile=/path/to/file" user@host:/blah/blah.file

so it would always prompt for password, which they don't want. The user on the host side is the same as is in the key, but not the same as the user they are logging into on the server.  We've been able to do it when I make them put that option arg in, but they said they don't need the 'IdentityFile' option with other vendors and are whinning. I've looked all over and re-re-re-read the manual pages, but I can't see how, or at least don't understand how.

Does anyone know how to setup up an sftp transaction without that pointer and without passwd? It sounds really unsecure to me, so I don't think I'd like it, hehe.

Any tips appreciated
M

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Asked On
2005-02-16 at 08:54:41ID21317128
Tags

sftp

,

identity

,

file

,

identityfile

Topic

Linux Network Security

Participating Experts
4
Points
125
Comments
5

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Answers

 

by: ahoffmannPosted on 2005-02-16 at 10:12:36ID: 13326885

does ssh work this way?
if not check with ssh -v
it's most likely a permission problem

 

by: chris_calabresePosted on 2005-02-16 at 12:43:30ID: 13328557

It sound like one of the following:

a) They're using a different key than they use for everyone else, and the key they use for everyone else is in the default location that sftp expects it in.

b) They're lying to you and it doesn't work for any other vendors either.

c) They don't actually use sftp with any other vendors, so they're not technically lying about not having problems with any other vendors.

 

by: phoenixVPosted on 2005-02-28 at 09:34:38ID: 13421642

Copy the public portion of the key they are using to the server, it should already be there
but I am making sure.

In thier ~/.ssh do this
cat <public key> >> authorized_keys

That should appent that key to thier list of authorised keys and allow them in with
no options or passowrds on the command line.

--Bob

 

by: macker-Posted on 2005-04-21 at 12:36:46ID: 13837387

Typically this sort of thing would be configured in the SSH client config file.  E.g. in ~/.ssh/config:

Host host.com
  Protocol 2
  User username
  IdentityFile /path/to/file

They could also create an alias for the sftp command, e.g.: alias sftp="sftp -o \\"IdentityFile=/path/to/file\\""  (placed in ~/.profile or ~/.bash_profile, depending which is used)

This is assuming they're running a command-line client locally that uses these sorts of syntax.

It's possible that they normally have the key in one of the identity files, but not the right one for the particular key/protocol being used.

Protocol v1: ~/.ssh/identity
Protocol v2 DSA: ~/.ssh/id_dsa
Protocol v2 RSA: ~/.ssh/id_rsa

 

by: metrionPosted on 2005-07-18 at 17:17:15ID: 14471545

Sorry I forgot to come back and answer this.
It had nothing to do with the IdentityFile at all, system related, or so it seems. FTP server is a linux box, as is my workstation. Testing between the two requires the IdentityFile pointer, as noted in my question. But between HP servers, or HP client to my FTP server, that is not required apparently. If I remember right, the clients host is HP. Putting the key in the servers authorized_keys is enough. So I was racking my brain, when out of the blue I had them try it and it worked  :D .  

I gave points above because of the wait and for the attempt. Sorry for the grade, I did that accidently.

M

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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