~/.ssh/authorized_keys2

You actually should type something like this:

/home/buddy/.ssh/authorized_keys2

Follow the steps below to set up Public Key Authentication for your own user account.

1. On the client PC type:

ssh-keygen -t dsa -P ""

This will create a dsa private and public key pair for the user. Save the keys (id_dsa and id_dsa.pub) to their default location ~/.ssh/id_dsa and ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub.

2. On the client PC type:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -P ""

This will create a rsa private and public key pair for the user. Save the keys (id_rsa and id_rsa.pub) to their default location ~/.ssh/id_rsa and ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.

3. On the client PC type:

cat ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub > ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2

This will combine the contents of id_dsa.pub and id_rsa.pub into one file called authorized_keys2.

4. Create a user account on the remote host PC that matches the username of the user on the client PC if you do not already have matching accounts.

5. Using FTP, SFTP, or some other method you feel comfortable with copy ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2 from the client PC to the remote host PC. Place the file in ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2.

You should now be able to invoke ssh from the client PC without a password.

The very first time you use ssh to connect to a new host you will have to say "yes" I trust this host, otherwise you will not be prompted.

You can append new keys to the remote host's ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2 file for other client PCs as long as the usernames match on both systems. Follow the steps above for generating the client's keys and creating the client's authorized_keys2 file.

6. Copy your new authorized_keys2 file from the client PC to the remote host PC but do not overwrite the existing ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2 file! Instead, place your new authorized_keys2 file in some other directory. I recommend you put it in ~.

7. On the remote host, edit your existing ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2 file. I use Pico:

pico ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2.

8. Go to the bottom of the file and make sure your cursor is at the beginning of a new blank line, then hit "Ctrl R", followed by "Ctrl T".

This should open up a directory listing starting at your home directory, ~. Hopefully you saved your new authorized_keys2 file here.

8. If you saved your new authorized_keys2 file under your home directory, ~, you should see it listed up top. Select it and hit "Enter".

This should take you back to Pico where it should have appended the new authorized_keys2 file to the end of your existing authorized_keys2 file.

9. Save and exit by hitting "Ctrl X", followed by "Y", and finally "Enter".

Repeat this for as many Client PCs you have that need to connect to the remote host but remember the usernames must match on both systems.