The openMosix HOWTO:
Prev | Chapter 10. openMosixview | Next

# 10.10. openMosixview + ssh:

(this HowTo is for SSH2) You can read the reasons why you should use SSH instead of RSH everyday on the newspaper when another script-kiddy hacked into an insecure system/network. So SSH is a good decision at all.

    freedom x security = constant    (from a security newsgroup)

That is why it is a bit tricky to configure SSH. SSH is secure even if you use it to login without being prompted for a password. Here is a (one) way to configure it.

At first a running secure-shell daemon on the remote site is required. If it is not already installed install it! (rpm -i [sshd_rpm_packeage_from_your_linux_distribution_cd]) If it is not already running start it with:

    /etc/init.d/ssh start

Now you have to generate a keypair for SSH on your local computer whith ssh-keygen.

    ssh-keygen

You will be prompt for a passphrase for that keypair. The passphrase normally is longer than a password and may be a whole sentence. The keypair is encrypted with that passphrase and saved in

    /root/.ssh/identity    //your private key
    and
    /root/.ssh/identity.pub     //your public key

Do NOT give your private-key to anybody!!! Now copy the whole content of /root/.ssh/identity.pub (your public-key which should be one long line) into /root/.ssh/authorized_keys on the remote host. (also copy the content of /root/.ssh/identity.pub to your local /root/.ssh/authorized_keys like you did it with the remote-node because openMosixview needed password-less login to the local-node too!)

If you ssh to this remote host now you will be prompted for the passphrase of your public-key. Giving the right passphrase should give you a login.

What is the advantage right now??? The passphrase is normally a lot longer than a password!

The advantage you can get using the ssh-agent. It manages the passphrase during ssh login.

    ssh-agent

The ssh-agent is started now and gives you two environment-variables you should set (if not set already). Type:

    echo $SSH_AUTH_SOCK
    and
    echo $SSH_AGENT_PID

to see if they are exported to your shell right now. If not just cut and paste from your terminal. e.g. for the bash-shell:

    SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/tmp/ssh-XXYqbMRe/agent.1065
    export SSH_AUTH_SOCK
    SSH_AGENT_PID=1066
    export SSH_AGENT_PID

example for the csh-shell:

    setenv SSH_AUTH_SOCK /tmp/ssh-XXYqbMRe/agent.1065
    setenv SSH_AGENT_PID 1066

With these variables the remote-sshd-daemon can connect your local ssh-agent by using the socket-file in /tmp (in this example /tmp/ssh-XXYqbMRe/agent.1065). The ssh-agent can now give the passphrase to the remote host by using this socket (it is of course an encrypted transfer)!

You just have to add your public-key to the ssh-agent with the ssh-add command.

    ssh-add

Now you should be able to login using ssh to the remote host without being prompted for a passwod!

You could (should) add the ssh-agent and ssh-add commands in your login-profile e.g.

    eval `ssh-agent`
     ssh-add

Now it is started when you login on your local workstation. You have done it! I wish you secure logins now.

openMosixview There is a menu-entry which toggles using rsh/ssh with openMosixview. Just enable this and you can use openMosixview even in insecure network-environments. You should also save this configuration (the possibility for saveing the current config in openMosixview was added in the 0.7 version) because it gets initial data from the slave using rsh or ssh (just like you configured).

If you choose a service wich is not installed properly openMosixview will not work! (e.g. if you cannot rsh to a slave without being prompted for a password you cannot use openMosixview with RSH; if you cannot ssh to a slave without being prompted for a password you cannot use openMosixview with SSH)

Prev | Home | Next
openmosixview FAQ | Up | Other openMosix related Programs