SSHD Config

[paulh]

I have redhat 7.3 and it was without an ssh daemon, so I installed it when it was needed
Now its installed, I have got stuck at configuration

When i try and start the server, I get the following:

Could not load host key: /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key
Could not load host key: /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key
Could not load host key: /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key
Disabling protocol version 1. Could not load host key
Disabling protocol version 2. Could not load host key
sshd: no hostkeys available -- exiting.

Questions:
How do i make thse 'host keys' ??

And, what are these hostkeys?

Thanks for any input!
Im an ssh newbie

[majorwoo]

man ssh will tell you something, at the bottom it mentions ssh-leygen and some others - these keys are what your computer uses to verify that you are in fact who you calim to be. For example you can generate a key for your computer (public and private) and unless the remote computer has the private key it will be unable to connect via ssh to you at all, ever regardless of name and password. You can also set it up to only check the key, adn not need a name password (although I have never done this myself)

[tithefug]

Also, just as a reference, RH 7.3 does come with an SSHD out of "box", b/c I had been running it before I switched to 8.0 (without DL'ing it).

Tithefug

[paulh]

OK, i went to read man sshd, and it suggested a few things, so i though fine, i'll just reboot (not sure why i rebooted, but anyway...)
When i got the system back up, it hung on 'starting sshd' for a few minutes
I use redhat 7.3, so it said OK in the green letters after it had been a success

Hmm, is sshd running without hostleys?!

Got it up, logged in and checked /etc/ssh for all my keys
they are there!

Users can login without a problem, so at bootup ssh must have generated them by itself
Nice one

Just thought Id post this in case anyone else is having problems with hostkeys (probably not, as tithefug was right, RH does come with SSHD out of the box)