I have been trying all day to set up SSH keys on a linux server and Windows 7 client, finally with succes.
The way I managed to finally do it is like this:
- Log into your linux server
- Type:[shell]ssh-keygen -t dsa[/shell]
- Accept default filename
- Provide a strong passphrase
- The keygen will create two files: iddsa.pub, and iddsa. The first one is the public key (.pub), the second one it the private key, copy this to your Windows 7 client.
- While stil on your server, now put the contents of iddsa.pub into ~/.ssh/authorizedkeys
- Make sure you[shell]chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys[/shell]
- Now move to your Windows 7 client and run puttygen.exe
- Load the id_dsa you have copied from the server
- Enter the passphrase
- Now use the save private key button to save the private key in putty .pkk format
- Now open putty and go to: Connection » SSH » Auth and browse for the .pkk to use as private key
- Now click open and you should be able to login into your server without the text: Server refused our key
If you followed the above and it still shows the text: Server refused our key, just read on...
Bonus steps that might solve your problem:
- In your server console issue the command: hostname
- Your hostname will be shown now, write it down or remember it
- Now start putty and in the Host Name (or IP address) input field enter that hostname (I am assuming you have allready set up a working hostname)
- With the* .ppk* selected as in step 11 press Open and you will be able to login without the text: Server refused our key
The first 13 steps are quite obvious, but it took me some time to notice that you really have to use the hostname. Before when I was just using a local IP address like 192.168.178.100 I could still login with putty, but the key would not be accepted, now that I'm using my hostname I can succesfully login on the server. There are a lot of tutorials like this one on the web, but none of them told me to use the hostname you have set up on your server!