CentOS - Sep 2007 - OpenSSH multiple private key question

I am using CentOS 4.5 with OpenSSH_3.9p1 and I am curious if anyone  
has a solution for this scenario. I have several pub/priv keys that I  
use for various tasks/reasons. My issue is that I want to have 2  
private keys stored in ~/.ssh/ and I am not sure the best way to  
accomplish that. Currently I am using ssh-agent, and it works fine  
for manually performing tasks. I was curious if there is a simple way  
to have multiple private keys stored in the same ~/.ssh/ directory  
without using ssh-agent? Thanks for reading.

-Von

On Wed, Sep 26, 2007 at 02:42:51PM -0400, Von Landfried
wrote:
>  I am using CentOS 4.5 with OpenSSH_3.9p1 and I am curious if anyone has a 
>  solution for this scenario. I have several pub/priv keys that I use for 
>  various tasks/reasons. My issue is that I want to have 2 private keys
stored
>  in ~/.ssh/ and I am not sure the best way to accomplish that. Currently I
am
>  using ssh-agent, and it works fine for manually performing tasks. I was 
>  curious if there is a simple way to have multiple private keys stored in
the
>  same ~/.ssh/ directory without using ssh-agent? Thanks for reading.
You can name them whatever you want, then add to ~/.ssh/config,
at the end:

host *
identityfile ~/.ssh/key1
identityfile ~/.ssh/key2

You can also restrict by host instead of a global definition, of course.

-- 
lfr
0/0
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Perfect, I knew it was possible, and I was familiar with ~/.ssh/ 
config, just currently only use it for different port settings.

Thanks Luciano!!!!


On Sep 26, 2007, at 2:51 PM, Luciano Rocha wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 26, 2007 at 02:42:51PM -0400, Von Landfried wrote:
>>  I am using CentOS 4.5 with OpenSSH_3.9p1 and I am curious if  
>> anyone has a
>>  solution for this scenario. I have several pub/priv keys that I  
>> use for
>>  various tasks/reasons. My issue is that I want to have 2 private  
>> keys stored
>>  in ~/.ssh/ and I am not sure the best way to accomplish that.  
>> Currently I am
>>  using ssh-agent, and it works fine for manually performing tasks.  
>> I was
>>  curious if there is a simple way to have multiple private keys  
>> stored in the
>>  same ~/.ssh/ directory without using ssh-agent? Thanks for reading.
>
> You can name them whatever you want, then add to ~/.ssh/config,
> at the end:
>
> host *
> identityfile ~/.ssh/key1
> identityfile ~/.ssh/key2
>
> You can also restrict by host instead of a global definition, of  
> course.
>
> -- 
> lfr
> 0/0
> _______________________________________________
> CentOS mailing list
> CentOS at centos.org
> http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos

On 9/26/07, Von Landfried <centos.list at eyestreet.com>
wrote:
> I am using CentOS 4.5 with OpenSSH_3.9p1 and I am curious if anyone
> has a solution for this scenario. I have several pub/priv keys that I
> use for various tasks/reasons. My issue is that I want to have 2
> private keys stored in ~/.ssh/ and I am not sure the best way to
> accomplish that. Currently I am using ssh-agent, and it works fine
> for manually performing tasks. I was curious if there is a simple way
> to have multiple private keys stored in the same ~/.ssh/ directory
> without using ssh-agent? Thanks for reading.

You can create a ~/.ssh/config file with host shortcuts that specify
specific keys for specific hosts. This would seem to be what you're
trying to do. You can also set default usernames for each host in case
you don't have common accounts on all boxen.

Sample below:

Host yourbox
HostName yourbox.example.com
User snuffy
IdentifyFile ~/.ssh/some_private_key.rsa

Host someotherbox
....



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During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.
George Orwell