I'm new to SFTP and using this mailing list was able to successfully create my first Private/Public keyset for a vendor hosting the SFTP server (I'm the client). I created the keyset by typing this:
# ssh-keygen -t rsa
When asked for the password/passphrase I hit <Enter> and afterwards "id_rsa" and "id_rsa.pub" were created in "/root/.ssh/". I provided "id_rsa.pub" to the vendor and when told they were ready I initiated an SFTP transfer. During the first connection I was asked for the vendor-provided password and after entering it was successfully connected to the vendor's sftp server. During successive connections I was not again asked for the password. This allowed me to create fully automated batch file transfers.my objective. Setting up my second vendor is not going as smoothly.
I did exactly the same thing for my second vendor with the exception of typing "rsa_vendor2" during keyset generation (I assumed I had to use a different name for the new keyset).
# ssh-keygen -t rsa_vendor2
Files "id_rsa_vendor2" and "id_rsa_vendor2.pub" were created in "/root/.ssh/" and I gave "id_rsa_vendor2.pub" to the second vendor. I initiated the first connection with the second vendor and was asked for the vendor-provided password which I entered and a successful connection was made. The problem is unlike with the first vendor I am asked for the password every time I connect to the second vendor's server. Because I am being asked for the password I am unable to create fully automated batch file transfers.
The second vendor is telling me they added the public key to their server as required. Did I miss a step or do something wrong on my end? Was I correct using a different name for the new keyset or would the new keyset information have been appended to the information already in id_rsa and id_rsa.pub for the first vendor?
Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.