[CentOS] SSH using Keys, no password and SFTP?

Devin Reade gdr at gno.org
Sun May 8 17:41:13 UTC 2011


Jason <slackmoehrle.lists at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have setup (and it was so easy) using SSH with keys instead of password authentication. I want to turn password authentication off completely.
> 
> What I dont understand is how SFTP would work them. I dont see any settings in my FTP clients to use SFTP without providing a password.


Don't confuse sftp with ftp.  They're two different protcols, albiet with
similar purposes.

If your users can log in with ssh using key pairs, then they can sftp and
scp with them, too.

ftp, otoh, does not understand ssh key pairs so if you turn off password
auth there then regular users can't log in with that protocol at all.

IMO though, the only kind of cleartext ftp that should be offered is 
anonymous ftp anyway.  ssh/sftp/scp have been out there long enough
that even windows users can use them now as long as you provide them
(or poitn them to) a suitable client.

Devin




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