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I need to do a rsync from a target server with a server in the middle and I have the same public key on both the target and middle server. I want to use that key so I don't have to do password authentication.

local --ssh--> middle --ssh--> target

Reading Method 1 of Using rsync through a firewall makes it seems like this is doable but I have been able to figure out the ssh part of the syntax of the command yet.

When I try 

ssh -i $KEY -A user@middle ssh user@target

I get

Permission denied, please try again.
Permission denied, please try again.
Permission denied (publickey,password).

Clearly the agent forwarding isn't happening as I was expecting it to.

Ideally I'd like to fit it all in one command without have to put anything in ~/.ssh/config files. What are all of the steps to do an rsync in this situation?

Thanks, Everett

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  • I assume you're doing someting along the lines of rsync -av -e "ssh -A user@middle ssh user@target" [rest of the rsync command] ? And that doesn't work?
    – Joris
    Aug 20, 2010 at 5:16
  • Did you start ssh-agent and add your identity(s)? The '-A' will only "carry" identities loaded into the agent.
    – Stephen Paul Lesniewski
    Aug 20, 2010 at 19:41
  • Yep. First "ssh-add $KEY" then "ssh-agent" finally "ssh -A user@middle ssh user@target" and I still get the Permission denied.
    – Everett Toews
    Aug 20, 2010 at 19:55
  • A big part of the problem is that my public key on target had a copy/paste error so I couldn't do passwordless authentication to target in the first place. Now that it's fixed the accepted answer below worked for me. Thanks to all for the help.
    – Everett Toews
    Aug 20, 2010 at 20:43

2 Answers 2

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The '-A' will only "carry" identities loaded into ssh-agent. ('-i' on the command won't be enough.)

How about this something like this;

ssh-agent sh -c "ssh-add test_ident; rsync -avr --rsh='ssh -TA hostA ssh -TA ' foo/ hostB:/var/tmp/foo/"
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  • 1
    This works for me. For anyone following along substitute $KEY for test_ident, user@middle for hostA and target for hostB
    – Everett Toews
    Aug 20, 2010 at 20:46
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Personally I do this in two hops with the following script:

#!/bin/bash
ssh -fN [email protected] -L2211:target.foo:22
rsync "-e ssh -p 2211" /Users/me/dir1/ root@localhost:/backup/dir1/ -avz --progress --delete-after
rsync "-e ssh -p 2211" /Users/me/dir2/ root@localhost:/backup/dir2/ -avz --progress --delete-after

mod as required.

It seemed easier than playing with the rsync options and if your target and middle have your key you shouldn't be prompted.

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  • Doing a "ssh -i $KEY -fN root@middle -L2211:target:22" works without prompting me for a password but when I try "rsync -e "ssh -p 2211" /dir/on/local/ root@localhost:/dir/on/target/ -avz --progress" I get asked for root@localhost's password. What could I be missing?
    – Everett Toews
    Aug 20, 2010 at 15:59
  • See my last comment on the question.
    – Everett Toews
    Aug 20, 2010 at 20:47

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