Re: ssh-agent

[Geoff Thurman <geoffthur@ntlworld.com>]

On Saturday 08 November 2003 3:17 pm, Karsten M. Self wrote:
<snipped>
>
> it's pretty bloody useful, particualarly if you're using ssh
> either locally or to remote systems.
>
>   - Generate an ssh key:  'ssh-keygen'.  Provide a password.
>
>   - Add the contents of the '*.pub' files to remote hosts you plan on
>     sshing to.  See:
>
>       http://kmself.home.netcom.com/GNU/Linux/FAQs/sshrsakey.html
>
>   - After starting X, from any terminal window, run 'ssh-add'.  Type
>     your password when prompted.
>
>
> Now:  if you need to start a shell, or run a command, on a remote
> system, you can do so without having to type your password. 
> Naturally, you'll want to secure your local system so Dr. Evil can't
> exploit this.
>
> E.g.:
>
>     ssh myname@remotehost.farawaydomain.tld
>
> ...or if you want to run a command on a bunch of hosts:
>
>     for host in eenie meenie meinie moe; do ssh $host uptime; done
>
>
> If you ever find yourself administering a cluster of hosts, or using
> a number of remote systems, this is invaluable.
>
> There are other tricks (forced commands) for running specific
> commands without even requiring an ssh-agent, say, for cronjobs and
> the like.
>
>
> ssh is highly valuable because it provides a secure, encrypted,
> authenticated, non-spoofable means of issueing commands or data
> between hosts.  It's used not just for shells and commands but for
> file transfers in the form of scp, sftp, and rsync.  See also the
> fish:// protocol (implemented in lftp, for example).  ssh replaces
> telnet and rsh, for the most part transparently, both of which are
> highly insecure protocols.
>
>
> I'd strongly recommend you leave ssh installed.  Could be most
> useful.
>

Thanks for this, but unless I actually use ssh (or anything else) surely 
it's best to remove it? I don't log in to remote machines, except for 
logging in to various web pages from time to time. Unless ssh does 
something in the background while I am doing this, or while I am 
downloading stuff from such sites, (please put me right if it *does* do 
this - I'm still slightly unsure) I'd simply rather not leave it lying 
around. But your email is filed away in case I do start using it, so 
thanks again.

Cheers,

Geoff