Hi, I am trying to setup a hostbased passwrodless ssh from a client to a server using this guide http://www.ehow.com/how_7621307_set-up-hostbased-authentication.html. The client looks like: mahmood@client:~$ cat /etc/ssh/ssh_config | grep "HostbasedAuthentication" HostbasedAuthentication yes mahmood@client:~$ cat /etc/ssh/ssh_config | grep "EnableSSHKeysign" EnableSSHKeysign yes and the server looks like: mahmood@server:~$ cat /etc/ssh/sshd_config | grep "HostbasedAuthentication" HostbasedAuthentication yes mahmood@server:~$ cat /etc/ssh/sshd_config | grep "IgnoreRhosts" IgnoreRhosts no also the server has the key for client: mahmood@server:~$ cat /etc/ssh/ssh_known_hosts client ssh-rsa AAAAB3Nz..... the ~/.shosts file on the server contains: mahmood@server:~$ cat .shosts client.domain mahmood Then on both server and client, the ssh service is restarted: mahmood@client:~$ sudo service ssh restart ssh start/running, process 1355 mahmood@server:~$ sudo service ssh restart ssh start/running, process 28982 How, when I run "ssh -vvv server" from client (to show the verbose messages), I still get the password prompt. mahmood@client:~$ ssh -vvv server OpenSSH_5.3p1 Debian-3ubuntu6, OpenSSL 0.9.8k 25 Mar 2009 debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config debug1: Applying options for * debug2: ssh_connect: needpriv 0 debug1: Connecting to server [192.168.1.1] port 22. debug1: Connection established. debug1: identity file /home/mahmood/.ssh/identity type -1 debug1: identity file /home/mahmood/.ssh/id_rsa type -1 debug1: identity file /home/mahmood/.ssh/id_dsa type -1 debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_5.3p1 Debian-3ubuntu4 debug1: match: OpenSSH_5.3p1 Debian-3ubuntu4 pat OpenSSH* debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0 debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-OpenSSH_5.3p1 Debian-3ubuntu6 debug2: fd 3 setting O_NONBLOCK debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent debug3: Wrote 792 bytes for a total of 831 debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman- group1-sha1 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192- cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,rijndael-cbc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192- cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,rijndael-cbc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@xxxxxxxxxxx,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@xxxxxxxxxxx,hmac-sha1-96,hmac- md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@xxxxxxxxxxx,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@xxxxxxxxxxx,hmac-sha1-96,hmac- md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@xxxxxxxxxxx,zlib debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@xxxxxxxxxxx,zlib debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha256,diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman- group1-sha1 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192- cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,rijndael-cbc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr,arcfour256,arcfour128,aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,aes192- cbc,aes256-cbc,arcfour,rijndael-cbc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@xxxxxxxxxxx,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@xxxxxxxxxxx,hmac-sha1-96,hmac- md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,umac-64@xxxxxxxxxxx,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@xxxxxxxxxxx,hmac-sha1-96,hmac- md5-96 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@xxxxxxxxxxx debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib@xxxxxxxxxxx debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0 debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0 debug2: mac_setup: found hmac-md5 debug1: kex: server->client aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none debug2: mac_setup: found hmac-md5 debug1: kex: client->server aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REQUEST(1024<1024<8192) sent debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP debug3: Wrote 24 bytes for a total of 855 debug2: dh_gen_key: priv key bits set: 124/256 debug2: bits set: 507/1024 debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY debug3: Wrote 144 bytes for a total of 999 debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: filename /home/mahmood/.ssh/known_hosts debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 1 debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: filename /home/mahmood/.ssh/known_hosts debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 2 debug1: Host 'server' is known and matches the RSA host key. debug1: Found key in /home/mahmood/.ssh/known_hosts:1 debug2: bits set: 503/1024 debug1: ssh_rsa_verify: signature correct debug2: kex_derive_keys debug2: set_newkeys: mode 1 debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS debug3: Wrote 16 bytes for a total of 1015 debug2: set_newkeys: mode 0 debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST sent debug3: Wrote 48 bytes for a total of 1063 debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth debug1: SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT received debug2: key: /home/mahmood/.ssh/identity ((nil)) debug2: key: /home/mahmood/.ssh/id_rsa ((nil)) debug2: key: /home/mahmood/.ssh/id_dsa ((nil)) debug3: Wrote 64 bytes for a total of 1127 debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password,hostbased debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey,password,hostbased debug3: preferred gssapi-keyex,gssapi-with-mic,gssapi,hostbased,publickey,keyboard-interactive,password debug3: authmethod_lookup hostbased debug3: remaining preferred: publickey,keyboard-interactive,password debug3: authmethod_is_enabled hostbased debug1: Next authentication method: hostbased debug2: userauth_hostbased: chost client. debug2: ssh_keysign called debug3: ssh_msg_send: type 2 debug3: ssh_msg_recv entering debug1: permanently_drop_suid: 1000 debug2: we sent a hostbased packet, wait for reply debug3: Wrote 608 bytes for a total of 1735 debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password,hostbased debug2: userauth_hostbased: chost client. debug2: ssh_keysign called debug3: ssh_msg_send: type 2 debug3: ssh_msg_recv entering debug1: permanently_drop_suid: 1000 debug2: we sent a hostbased packet, wait for reply debug3: Wrote 672 bytes for a total of 2407 debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password,hostbased debug1: No more client hostkeys for hostbased authentication. debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey debug3: remaining preferred: keyboard-interactive,password debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey debug1: Next authentication method: publickey debug1: Trying private key: /home/mahmood/.ssh/identity debug3: no such identity: /home/mahmood/.ssh/identity debug1: Trying private key: /home/mahmood/.ssh/id_rsa debug3: no such identity: /home/mahmood/.ssh/id_rsa debug1: Trying private key: /home/mahmood/.ssh/id_dsa debug3: no such identity: /home/mahmood/.ssh/id_dsa debug2: we did not send a packet, disable method debug3: authmethod_lookup password debug3: remaining preferred: ,password debug3: authmethod_is_enabled password debug1: Next authentication method: password mahmood@server's password: Any idea about that? // Naderan *Mahmood;