Re: amazon ec2 instance access

[Jeff Rizzo <riz%tastylime.net@localhost>]

On 10/23/2012 18:55, kalin wrote:
> hi...
>
> i'm a bit confused. finally accessed an aim instance of netbsd 6 on 
> the amazon ws platform. usually when a new machine is installed i 
> check the ssd_config first. so to my surprise i noticed this setting 
> for root:
>
> PermitRootLogin without-password
>
> according to the man for ssd_config:
>
> "If this option is set to ``without-password'', password 
> authentication is disabled for root."
>
> yet still when trying to ssh in as root i can not get access. why is 
> that?
>
> i did try changing it to:
>
> PermitRootLogin no
>
> but then the awesome thing amazon has - some java virtual console - to 
> access the instance via a pem key is not working anymore... which i 
> guess it makes sense. but how is that with a without-password setting 
> in sshd_config i can't get in?!
>
>
> thanks....

You need to have whatever keyfile (.pem file, most likely) you set up 
for the instance, and log in thus:

ssh -i keyfile.pem root@<amazon-instance-name.amazonaws.com>

...and you can get it.  The "without-password" setting is to allow 
key-only logins.  Once you're logged in, you can set things up however 
you like.

+j