SSH public keys

[Wim Van den Wyngaert]

I use SSH of Process Software but I guess it's a general SSH question.

When I SSH to node A for the first time, it gives me the option to copy the host public key. Seems very good because it has no value (hence the name public key).

But the same is not done for the user identification public file. This one must be copied by hand to node A.

1) Is there an option to copy the file just as with the host key ?
2) If not, why not ? (implementation reason)

Wim

[Richard Whalen · Accepted solution]

There is a subsystem that specifies this functionality: http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-secsh-publickey-subsystem-08.txt
There aren't many implementations though. The only ones that I know of are VanDyke Software's VShell Server (this is the origin of the subsystem), and a partial implementation that is included with the SSH implementation from Process Software. (see http://www.process.com/tcpip/mndocs51/USER_GUIDE/Ch07.htm#E54E19)
At one time VanDyke offered a patch for OpenSSH to provide the server functionality, but I don't know if it is still available or has been maintained.

Rich Whalen
Process Software