Quote:
Tried and still not working:
When I attempt to connect, I get prompted for a user name and then a password. Why? I selected the SSH Public Key for the user's login.
Any ideas??
you have to create a user account under freesshd and that username must be used to login no matter what authentication method you use.
i couldn't get freesshd to recognize the generated putty private key, so here's what worked for me instead.
1) generate a 1024 bit RSA key with freesshd under the "SSH" tab.
2) then load that key into puttygen. (run puttygen and click "load" and select "all files (*.*)" under file type and find your previously generated key) then in puttygen you can type a passphase and save the private key as "whatever.ppk"
3) copy the stuff in the openssh box at the top of the puttygen window and paste it into a text file saved under some public keys folder. (any folder, you choose)
4) name that text file whatever login name you have set under your freesshd users. (if your freesshd username is "john" name the text file "john" NOT "john.txt" or "john.ppk".
5) let freesshd keep using the private rsa key it already created at the beginning, DO NOT POINT TO THE PUTTY PRIVATE KEY!
6) point the public key folder to wherever you have your "john" file saved.
now when using your ssh/ftp/scp client use the private "whatever.ppk" key.
*NOTE: assuming you created a freesshd user account with a password, you can set authentication modes to anything you want. you can allow both password and public key if want but this is only as secure as your username and password because a hacker won't be requested to provide the public key if he can just brute force your password. likewise you can set both authentications to "required" if you're a paranoid freak (like me).
i should mention that i created a new user for the freesshd with "password verification" NOT "NT verification" so i'm not sure if the above method will allow both authentication protocalls if you're using NT verification but i don't see why not.
also i generated a 1024 bit key with freesshd because puttygen only works up to 1024 bits (my version of putty anyway). if you've hacked putty to work with 2048 bit keys then go for it.
!!FINAL NOTE!!
i'm not sure if using the freesshd private key instead of the puttygen private key under the freesshd "SSH" tab introduces any security holes? i'm a little new at this whole key exchange deal.... okay, yes i'm a n00b!
hope this helps somebody and doesn't confuse people even more.
