Suse Linux and OpenSSH


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Thread: Suse Linux and OpenSSH

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    12

    Extreme Newbie - Suse Linux and OpenSSH

    Hello. First of all I am new to the forums. Actually I'm new to linux all together. It's been something that I have wanted to start playing with for about 3 or 4 years now. I would install it, play around with the cool features then try to do something that I would normally do on my desktop, have a little problem and leave linux for 6 months or so.

    Anyways, so I'm back, with a brand new SuSE 9.0 install. I've set up the network and have the hole punched in my router and believe that OpenSSH is running (I think it's default, if not I haven't done anything to get it going), actually, I'm quite sure I have OpenSSH running because I can connect to the box through the router and it exchanges the key with my ssh client but then asks me to log in again. So I log in again and then it keeps prompting me for my username and password until eventually my connection fails.

    So the question I have is what am I doing wrong? Are there some settings I need to change to get it to work for each individual user on the machine? Am I using the wrong client (putty from a different machine on the server, webmonkey on my sidekick, neither one worked). I know this is an severe newbie question and I probably shouldn't expect to have an easy time with linux if I can't even get the ssh going, but I literally installed the system 3 hours ago, played with it for an hour, googled for 2 hours and I still haven't found a solution.

    I hope someone can help me because after this problem I have to lick the whole nvidia-multihead situation. So we'll see how it goes. I really don't want to scrap linux this time round. It's great so far. Networking works, sound works, x windows system works, overall a nice system so far.

    Thanks for any help, I greatly appreciate it.
    huey =)

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Tampa, FL USA
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    I set up ssh once, but it was quite a while ago. I'm not sure how I did it, but it didn't take much more than generally an hour. Did you try reading the manual page for ssh and related progs?
    #man ssh

    Try running 'top' as root to see if ssh(openssh) is running.

    Hope that helps

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    12
    Thanks for the quick response!

    I ran tops and sshd is running. I read the mans for OpenSSH and it said something about the $HOME/.ssh/[key stuff] and I checked my home directory and there was no .ssh directory. I'm assuming that I need to take one more step to enable the users to login.

    I have the default configuration for SuSE I just don't know how to enable the users to login. I can confirm that I am actually able to connect to the box over the internet through the router. The key is exchanged but then it won't let me log into my account.

    I am at work running putty. I type in the ip address and click connect. It receives the key. Then it prompts me for my username and password. I enter both and it says "Access Denied." Again I haven't changed anything from the default that comes with SuSE so if someone could let me know how to setup keys for different users or allow a group to access SSH, it would be greatly appreciated.

    Thanks,
    huey =)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    NC, USA
    Posts
    33
    I am not sure if you are set up to access your machine. The ssh config files are usually in /etc/ssh/sshd_config. Read man sshd_config before. Hope this helps
    AMD Athlon 1.3 Ghz
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  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
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    12
    Originally posted by funnyjedi
    I am not sure if you are set up to access your machine. The ssh config files are usually in /etc/ssh/sshd_config. Read man sshd_config before. Hope this helps
    Ok. So I looked at the sshd_config file and right now it's all greek to me. Is there anything I could post for somebody to take a look at and tell me what I need to change. I know I really am acting like a newbie here, but I'm still so used to my windows "do everything for me and make me helpless" environment. It's kind of like releasing a domestic animal to the wild, I don't have any clue where to even start.

    So would it help if I posted my sshd_config file or something so that somebody could look at it and tell me what's going on? I really wish I had a local friend that could help me get through this but all my friends are windows based. One day I hope to be the friend that my friends come to with their linux problems. We'll see.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2000
    Location
    Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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    8,116
    the ssh config files are self-explanatory and are also well-covered in the man pages.

    the "Building Secure Servers" O'Reilly book covers the set-up in detail.

    you just need to decide if you are goin gto use plaintext encrypted upon connection passwords, or if you are going to use RSA/DSA keys; the former being the easiest to set up. if you use the keys then you have to mess with files in ~/.ssh. if you have it set to accept regular linux passwords on connect then there is no other config required.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    12
    Originally posted by Hayl
    the ssh config files are self-explanatory and are also well-covered in the man pages.

    the "Building Secure Servers" O'Reilly book covers the set-up in detail.

    you just need to decide if you are goin gto use plaintext encrypted upon connection passwords, or if you are going to use RSA/DSA keys; the former being the easiest to set up. if you use the keys then you have to mess with files in ~/.ssh. if you have it set to accept regular linux passwords on connect then there is no other config required.
    See that's where I'm having the problem though. I'm sure that SuSE automatically sets up ssh for me and I can get the server to give me the key but after that it won't let me log in (even as root). I've looked through the config file and don't understand most of it even after reading the man. I just need someone to point the obvious out to me and show me where to get started. I'll post the sshd_config setup when I get home.

    huey =)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2001
    Location
    SF Bay Area, CA
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    14,936
    Are you trying to log into ssh as root?

    It wouldn't surprise me if the default sshd_config doesn't allow root logins... if you are trying to log in as root, try a different user.

    (You're sure caps-lock isn't on or anything crazy like that? Sorry, I had to... )

    Maybe there's something in your SuSE machine's /var/log/messages file? Actually, I'm not sure that SuSE uses /var/log/messages -- look around inside the different log files in /var/log to see if you can find one that has messages from sshd in it. See if anything coming from sshd sheds any light on the issue...

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Tampa, FL USA
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    Your sshd_config file should have a line in it that allows logins from users.

    example:

    AllowUsers
    jim joseph jake


    man sshd_config - is trying to explain how the sshd_config file is set up. Before skimming through it, try to very carefully read the first explainatory paragraphs.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Phoenix, AZ
    Posts
    647
    Originally posted by jhuey
    Thanks for the quick response!

    I ran tops and sshd is running.
    An easier way to check to see if ssh is running is

    ps -e | grep sshd

    if you get any resutls ssh is running.
    "There's a big difference between "copy" and "use". It's exatcly the same
    issue whether it's music or code. You can't re-distribute other peoples
    music (becuase it's _their_ copyright), but they shouldn't put limits on
    how you personally _use_ it (because it's _your_ life)."

    --Linus Torvalds

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Posts
    12

    Latest Update

    Ok, so I figured out what was wrong and it was actually Putty that was messing everything up. I had to switch a setting in Putty to get it to login to a SSH2 Server. Anyways, that was the problem, I can connect at work now. I just can't connect through the SSH2 client on my Sidekick (my cellphone) but that's a whole different problem that I won't address the people on this board with (unless anybody has a sidekick and is able to connect to their servers through terminal monkey, if so please let me know, I would like to talk to you about your sshd_config file to see why the machine won't let me get in from my phone).

    Thanks for the help everyone. I am loving my new OS. I finally got the multiheads going and it was super easy with SuSE, SAX2 kicks booty... I love anything that gets me away from the command line, even if it is just for a little bit. One day I'll be a linux master like the rest of ya... ;-)

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