1

I am attempting to automate a script that executes commands on remote machines via ssh. I have public key authentication setup between the machines using ssh-agent. The script runs fine when executed from the command prompt. I suspect my problem is that cron isn't starting the ssh-agent due to it's minimalist environment. Here is the output when I add the -v flag to ssh:

debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password
debug1: Next authentication method: gssapi-with-mic
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Offering public key: /home/<user>/.ssh/id_rsa
debug1: Server accepts key: pkalg ssh-rsa blen 149
debug1: PEM_read_PrivateKey failed
debug1: read PEM private key done: type <unknown>
debug1: Trying private key: /home/<user>/.ssh/id_dsa
debug1: Next authentication method: password
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password
Permission denied, please try again.
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password
Permission denied, please try again.
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password
debug1: No more authentication methods to try.
Permission denied (publickey,gssapi-with-mic,password).

How can I make this work? Thanks!

3 Answers 3

2
  1. Don't try to use use ssh-agent via cron: It's more trouble than it's worth.
    Pass -i identity_file to ssh instead (see ssh(1)).
  2. Make sure your key has no passphrase (Since cron can't enter a passphrase for you).
  3. If the above doesn't work triple-check your permissions: SSH will refuse to accept an insecure identity file.
2

I ended up starting ssh-agent in the script before making the ssh call with the following code. Works like a charm.

PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
SSH_ENV="$HOME/.ssh/environment"

function start_agent {
     echo "Initialising new SSH agent..."
     /usr/bin/ssh-agent | sed 's/^echo/#echo/' > "${SSH_ENV}"
     echo succeeded
     chmod 600 "${SSH_ENV}"
     . "${SSH_ENV}" > /dev/null
     /usr/bin/ssh-add;
}

# Source SSH settings, if applicable

if [ -f "${SSH_ENV}" ]; then
     . "${SSH_ENV}" > /dev/null
     #ps ${SSH_AGENT_PID} doesn't work under cywgin
     ps -ef | grep ${SSH_AGENT_PID} | grep ssh-agent$ > /dev/null || {
         start_agent;
     }
else
     start_agent;
fi 


export PATH
unset USERNAME
0

Perhaps you would be better served by a tool such as Func.

You must log in to answer this question.