K4 Can't get SSH keys working for auth

desertcroc · 02-16-2024, 10:19 PM

I'm having trouble getting SSH keys working. I've followed all the instructions carefully and this is not my first rodeo with public-private SSH keys.

Running 4.1.4
Jailbreak worked properly
Successfully set the root password and using that for auth
Copied my existing public key from client ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub
Tried copying to usbnet/etc/authorized_keys and authorized_keys2 (using USB drive mode)
Tried using scp to copy to /mnt/us/usbnet/etc/
Manually creating /etc/authorized_keys with vi
Tried using both dropbear and OpenSSH
Tried remounting as rw before doing many of the steps above
Tried using ssh -i option even though ~/.ssh/id_rsa private key file should be used by default

I did successfully connect over USBnet and Wifi using password auth.

Any help here would be much appreciated! Is there any way to easily turn on more logging to find the issue?

mergen3107 · 02-16-2024, 10:23 PM

First, the key itself should be “plain”, i.e. written out as a long string with END in the end (or something like that). Also check that the file’s line endings are LF, not anything else.

desertcroc · 02-17-2024, 01:31 AM

The format I have is the following, all in a single line:
ssh-rsa ABCDE... user@hostname

I'm not sure if I've ever seen a public key file with "END" in it.

mergen3107 · 02-17-2024, 03:01 AM

My point was that the Kindle file is plain, not encrypted like ppk or others.

desertcroc · 02-17-2024, 09:28 AM

I see. Yes, it's definitely a plain key.

02-16-2024, 10:19 PM	#1
desertcroc Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2024 Device: Kindle 4	Can't get SSH keys working for auth I'm having trouble getting SSH keys working. I've followed all the instructions carefully and this is not my first rodeo with public-private SSH keys. Running 4.1.4 Jailbreak worked properly Successfully set the root password and using that for auth Copied my existing public key from client ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub Tried copying to usbnet/etc/authorized_keys and authorized_keys2 (using USB drive mode) Tried using scp to copy to /mnt/us/usbnet/etc/ Manually creating /etc/authorized_keys with vi Tried using both dropbear and OpenSSH Tried remounting as rw before doing many of the steps above Tried using ssh -i option even though ~/.ssh/id_rsa private key file should be used by default I did successfully connect over USBnet and Wifi using password auth. Any help here would be much appreciated! Is there any way to easily turn on more logging to find the issue?

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02-16-2024, 10:23 PM	#2
mergen3107 Wizard Posts: 1,499 Karma: 5000046 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Cape Canaveral Device: Kindle Scribe	First, the key itself should be “plain”, i.e. written out as a long string with END in the end (or something like that). Also check that the file’s line endings are LF, not anything else.

02-17-2024, 01:31 AM	#3
desertcroc Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2024 Device: Kindle 4	The format I have is the following, all in a single line: ssh-rsa ABCDE... user@hostname I'm not sure if I've ever seen a public key file with "END" in it.

02-17-2024, 03:01 AM	#4
mergen3107 Wizard Posts: 1,499 Karma: 5000046 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Cape Canaveral Device: Kindle Scribe	My point was that the Kindle file is plain, not encrypted like ppk or others.

02-17-2024, 09:28 AM	#5
desertcroc Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2024 Device: Kindle 4	I see. Yes, it's definitely a plain key.

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