[Info-vax] OpenVMS SSH to freeSSHd on Windows

[Sum1]

On 2011-11-12 15:01:27 +0000, Steven Schweda said:

> On Nov 12, 1:39 am, Sum1 <n... at here.com> wrote:
> 
>> Seriously, you mean that when I tell you it is v5.6 and that
>> the components are all 5.6-9, that doesn't tell you enough.
>> [...]
> 
>    Seriously, you're asking questions here because you can't
> figure this stuff out on your own, and you think that you
> know better than I which information would be useful?  I
> suppose that that would explain why you failed to answer some
> of the other questions posed.  (How you expect to get answers
> without providing them is another mystery.)
> 
>    Among other things, "tcpip show version" reveals which ECO
> has been applied to the base software.  Around here, for
> example:
> 
> alp $ tcpip show version
> 
>   HP TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Alpha Version V5.6 - ECO 5
>   on a COMPAQ Professional Workstation XP1000 running OpenVMS V8.3

So, we are still at the same point.  v5.6 no ECO. I said 5.6 
originally, then showed the output of the sho ver.  Also included the 
information (5.6-9) of a show ver/all in the initial problem 
description to be helpful - sorry it wasn't for you.
> 
>> freeSSHd server refused to accept the OpenVMS certificate
> 
>    Swell.  With my weak psychic powers, I can't see why.  I

And neither can I as the Windows-based server only returns the 
information that it won't accept the certificate.


> also can't see any of your key files, or where you put them,
> or who owns them, or what their permissions/protections are.

No, you can't see the certificates - sorry.  But they are where VMS 
expects them, in [.ssh2] of the account under which activity is 
happening.  a DIR/SEC shows S=RWED, O=RWED, G, W which seems to be fins 
according to the HP manuals.

> Nor any of the "ssh -v" diagnostics.
> 
>> [...] as I stated elsewhere, there are *NO* SSH commands on
>> the server [...]
> 
>    You also stated:
> 
>> I have tried generating keys using:
>> - ssh-keygen -t dsa fred
>> - ssh-keygen -t dsa -b 1024 fred
>> - ssh-keygen -t rsa fred
>> - ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 1024 fred
> 
> So, _where_ did you do that, if you have no ssh-keygen
> program?  And, if you have an ssh-keygen program, then why
> can't you use it to convert the key files?

Perhaps you misunderstand?  freeSSHd on Windows is the server, VMS is 
the client.  No problem generating certificates, testing SSH - JUST NOT 
ON THE SERVER WHERE I STATED THE CONVERSION MUST BE UNDERSTAKEN!!!!
> 
>> Well, it doesn't - it is a completely different version of
>> SSH apparently - or so the True64 people tell me and I am not
>> a True64 user.
> 
>    Once again, my psychic powers are too weak to tell me
> which SSH software is running on your Tru64 (not "True64")
> system.  Possibly informative would be:
> 
>       sizer -v
>       ssh -V

Probably would - not a Tru64 user and no access to a system - sorry for 
the misspelling.

So, to perhaps reduce and simplify it for you….VMS is a client to a 
Windows server using freeSSHd.  It appears that freeSSHd is based 
on/uses OpenSSH - VMS generated certificates are not compatible with 
it.  The typical solution is to convert the VMS certificates on the 
server (not the VMS client) but there are no SSH capabilities, other 
than SSH service/daemon on the Windows server.

In another reply it was suggested that puTTY may work and will test it 
soon.  I was hoping that there may have been a VMS-based solution to 
convert the certificates.