Hello Steve,

I don't remember you asking how to disable attempts at password
authentication when GSI authentication fails. Looking in the archives
(http://www.globus.org/mail_archive/gt-user/2008/06/msg00066.html), I
see that you asked why the GSI-OpenSSH server logs a message about the
"none" method before GSI authentication succeeds. If you had asked about
how to disable password authentication, I could have certainly pointed
you to OpenSSH's PreferredAuthentications setting.

In any case, I think your proposal is a good one, and I'd be happy to
make the change in the default ssh_config for the next release.

-Jim

Steve White wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Last year, I asked the list how to disable the terribly annoying default
> behaviour of gsissh to fall back to ssh password authentication when
> grid authentication fails.
> 
> This is essentially a bug.  Nevermind *why* it happens.  For most cases,
> there is no reason for the user to enter a password--it won't work, and
> results only in a ****GREAT DEAL OF CONFUSION**** on the part of new 
> users.  Furthermore, this pathological circumstance often trips denial 
> of use software, which will see repeated grid logins as SSH login 
> failures, and ban the poor user.
> 
> This is a big problem, not a little one.  I personally have lost many
> days of time, looking for an answer, figuring out why a user can't log
> in, un-banning them, and then consoling them.  Some users give up on
> Globus altogether because of this stupidity.
> 
> Well, there seems to be an easy answer.  I found it (in the openssh man
> pages, not in the gsissh docs....why?)
> 
> In the file
>       $GLOBUS_LOCATION/etc/ssh/ssh_config
> add the line 
>       PreferredAuthentications        gssapi-keyex,gssapi-with-mic,gssapi
> 
> We have been using this for several months now, with no apparent problems.
> 
> I propose that this line be enabled as the default behavior.
> 
> Any thoughts on this?

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