You are Here: FAQ ->Scripting and Programming Languages->SSH (Secure Shell)->SSH Upgrades->Article #5


How do I configure authentication keys to work with SSH2 in OpenSSH?


An SSH2 authorization file, typically found in ~/.ssh2/authorization, has a
different format from its SSH1 ancestor. Instead of public keys, it contains
keywords and values.


Each line of the file contains one keyword followed by its value. The most
commonly used keywords are Key and Command.

Public keys are indicated using the Key keyword. Key is followed by white
space, and then the name of a file containing a public key. Relative
filenames refer to files in ~/.ssh2. For example:

# SSH2 only
Key myself.pub

This means that an SSH-2 public key is contained in ~/.ssh2/myself.pub.
Your authorization file must contain at least one Key line for public-key
authentication to occur.

Each Key line may optionally be followed immediately by a Command keyword
and its value. Command specifies a forced command. A forced command begins
with the keyword Command, followed by white space and ends with a shell
command line. For example:

# SSH2 only
Key somekey.pub

Command "/bin/echo All logins are disabled"

Note that a Command line by itself is an error. The following examples are illegal:

# THIS IS ILLEGAL: no Key line

Command "/bin/echo This line is bad."

# THIS IS ILLEGAL: no Key line precedes the second Command
Key somekey.pub

Command "/bin/echo All logins are disabled"

Command "/bin/echo This line is bad."



Print Article
How useful was this article?
(From 5 = Very Useful to 1 = Not useful at all):
1 2 3 4 5


 © 2008 1&1 Internet Inc - About 1&1 Internet