When I do SSH to Linux machine, where it keeps token on client machine

[tvnaidu]

When I do ssh to LINUX machine from windows using ssh client, first time it will display certificate, then it will ask y / n?. Where it will keep that certificate on windows machine?. any idea what is the advantage of ssh, does it do any encryption?. Is it secures connection?.

[drhowarddrfine]

I don't know where the generated key is stored on Windows. SSH is highly secure and everything is encrypted. Most anything done securely on *nix uses SSH.

[tvnaidu]

Thanks. First time wehn I do ssh from windows machine to LINUX host, I can see certificate prints on windows machine, it will ask y / n?. if I say yes, then ssh asks for login id, but where windows machine keeps that certificate?. if I do ssh again next time, it won't ask, means windows machine should keep that cert somewhere right?. or LINUX nachine keep track of that?. how can I see those encrypted packets?. can I capture with ethereal?.

[drhowarddrfine]

I've forgotten the details and my head is elsewhere. If you do a 'man ssh', everything you want to know should be in there except for the Windows stuff.

[numberwhun]

Just like the good Dr, I do not know where the ssh key for the system you connected to is stored. That is because on Windows, it totally depends on the application that you are using and where it stores its information.

On a Linux/Unix machine, if you connect to another machine and accept the ssh key, it stores that information in the ~/.ssh/known_hosts file.

I would certainly check the documentation for whatever application you are using as it would be storing it for you.

Regards,

Jeff

[prn]

I don't know where the cert is kept either, but that is because different SSH clients keep them in different places. TERATERM PRO keeps a known_hosts file (ssh_known_hosts) in \Program Files\TTERMPRO. PuTTY, on the other hand, keeps certs in the windows registry. What ssh client are you using?

Paul

[drhowarddrfine]

So that confirms it. We don't know nuttin'.

[tvnaidu]

thanks. I am using ssh.

[prn]

tvnaidu said:

thanks. I am using ssh.

Yes. But which ssh?

SSH is a network protocol, but there is also a company ssh.com, which sells an implementation of a client for the protocol. However, there are a number of different implementations of client software for the SSH protocol. We really can't answer a question any better than numberwhun's comment above without knowing which client software you mean.

Paul

[ashitpro]

Like numberwhun said...in windows, its completely depends on application to maintain the keys..

If you are familiar with putty.exe, it stores the sessions and keys in registry

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY

And, if I am not wrong, please stop calling it as a "certificate".
Since we've never connected to this machine before, and SSH doesn't have the concept of a trusted third party like Certificate Authorities in the world of SSL/TLS, it's up to you to do all the key management yourself. Your client shows you the key fingerprint.

it is basically a server key.

more info: http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1806