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Setting up and starting SSH

Guidelines for determining host and server key sizes  Top

The setup process involves creating host and server keys. You can determine the size of the host and server keys by using the following guidelines:

Files where host keys are saved  Top

If you are using the SSH 1.x protocol, the host key is stored in the /etc/sshd/ssh_host_key file.

If you are using the SSH 2.0 protocol, the RSA host key is stored in the /etc/sshd/ssh_host_rsa_key file and the DSA host key is stored in the /etc/sshd/ssh_host_dsa_key file.

Setting up and starting SSH  Top

To set up and start SSH, complete the following steps.

Note
The setup procedure requires you to enter key sizes for the SSH 1.x and SSH 2.0 protocols, regardless of the protocol you use. For example, if you plan to use the SSH 2.0 protocol, you still must enter values for the SSH 1.x host key and server key sizes. You can accept the default value for keys that you do not use.

Step

Action

1

Enter the following command:

secureadmin setup ssh
2

When prompted, enter a size for the host key if you are using the SSH 1.x protocol.

Note
The default size for the host key is 768 bits.

3

When prompted, enter a size for the server key if you are using the SSH 1.x protocol.

Note
The default size for the server key is 512 bits.

4

When prompted, enter a size for the host keys if you are using the SSH 2.0 protocol.

Note
The default size for the host key is 768 bits.

5

When prompted, confirm the parameters that you specified.

Result

SecureAdmin generates the host key in the background, and, after a minute or two, the setup program sends a syslog message announcing that SSH is set up.

6

After the syslog message is generated, activate the host and server keys by entering the following command:

secureadmin enable {ssh1|ssh2}

Use ssh1 to enable SSH service for SSH 1.x clients or ssh2 to enable SSH service for SSH 2.0 clients.

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