Authenticating in SSH2

You can use Password, Public Key, or both authentication methods for SSH2 connections. Password authentication is the default.

To use password authentication

  1. On the main menu, click Tools > Global Options, or press ALT+F7.

  2. Expand the Securitynode, then clickSSH2 security.

  3. Make sure the Use password authentication check box is selected. You are using password authentication whenever the check box is selected, even if the box and check are dimmed. If you have upgraded to CuteFTP v9 and are using key pairs created with CuteFTP v8, if the password for an existing key contains any Extended ASCII characters, the password will not work. You will have to reenter the password after upgrading to v9.

  4. Click OK.

    5. Password authentication uses the FTP Site login password for authentication, not the passphrase used to decrypt the identity file's private key shown in the field beneath the Use password authentication check box.

To use public key authentication

  1. On the main menu, click Tools > Global Options, or press ALT+F7.

  2. Expand the Securitynode, then clickSSH2 security.

  3. Select the Use public key authentication check box. You are using public key authentication whenever the check box is selected, even if the box and check are dimmed.

  4. Click OK.

    5. To use public key authentication, you will need to send your public key to the server administrator before making an SSH2 connection. If the server is running OpenSSH, you will need to convert the public key as described below.

  5. Create an identity file in the client.

  6. Send the public key (Identity.pub) to the server administrator (via FTP, e-mail, etc.)

  7. The server administrator must convert the public key to OpenSSH, check it with wordcount, and add it to authorized_keys.

Command sequence:

ssh-keygen -i -f Identity.pub > sshpub
wc sshpub
cat sshpub > ~\.ssh\authorized_keys

 

Word count should return a "1" as the first number. OpenSSH asks for the identity files password the first time you log in. If CuteFTP fails to connect, contact our support team and provide the kernel version, OpenSSH build, and the CuteFTP build number. (To view the build number, on the main menu, click Help > About.)