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Date: 28 Feb 2004 01:09:51 -0000
To: cygwin AT cygwin DOT com
Subject: can't achieve password-less ssh authentication when my home directory is on a network file server
Encoding: 8bit
From: ncokwqc02 AT sneakemail DOT com
Message-ID: <1755-79447@sneakemail.com>
Note-from-DJ: This may be spam

Here's the scenario:

I have Cygwin installed and the OpenSSH daemon running on a PC (let's call it 'Alpha') and I have an account in the Windows NT domain of which 'Alpha' is a member. I log onto 'Alpha' and all the other workstations in this domain with the same password. 'Alpha' can access its local disk (the usual 'c:') as well as a network drive (accessible at '//Filer/...').

I also have Cygwin installed on another PC (let's call it 'Beta') and I would like to achieve password-less 'ssh' access from 'Beta' to 'Alpha'.

Both 'Alpha' and 'Beta' have 'rsa' public/private keys. 

I have no problem achieving my objective if 1) my home directory (as specified in 'Alpha:/etc/passwd') is '/home/john', and 2) 'Beta:/home/john/.ssh/known_hosts' includes the 'id_rsa.pub' file from 'Alpha:/home/john/.ssh', and 3) 'Alpha:/home/john/.ssh/authorized_keys2' includes the 'id_rsa.pub' file from 'Beta:/home/john/.ssh'. Note that for both 'Alpha' and 'Beta', '/' is the Cygwin mount point for 'c:/cygwin'. The only drawback to this procedure is that when I 'ssh' from 'Beta' to 'Alpha' this way, **I CAN'T ACCESS** any files on '//Filer'. Such access is critical for my application.

On the other hand, if 1) my home directory (as specified in 'Alpha:/etc/passwd') is on the network file server at '//Filer/home/john', and 2) 'Beta:/home/john/.ssh/known_hosts' includes the 'id_rsa.pub' file from '//Filer/home/john/.ssh', and 3) '//Filer/home/john/.ssh/authorized_keys2' includes the 'id_rsa.pub' file from 'Beta:/home/john/.ssh', then **I DO HAVE ACCESS** to the files on '//Filer' as well as the local files on 'c:' (aka '/cygdrive/c'). The only problem is that, in this case, the 'ssh' authentication process asks me to enter my password each time.

I don't understand why 'Alpha' and 'Beta' are interacting this way because various other Linux and UNIX clients configured similarly are able to achieve password-less access to 'Alpha' without any trouble.

So my question is this: How do I modify the file(s) on 'Alpha' or on '//Filer' to obtain password-less access from 'Beta' to 'Alpha' when the password file on 'Alpha' says '//Filer/john' is my home directory?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

john


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