[FreeNX-kNX] FreeNX with SSH key authentication fails

[Les Mikesell]

Paul van Gerven wrote:
> I fiddled with FreeNX for a whole weekend, but I cannot get it set up 
> the way I want. I can either setup SSH to exclusively accept keys as an 
> authentication method, but then FreeNX will not login, or I tell SSH to 
> accept password authentication, in which case FreeNX does work. The 
> latter situation is fine on a LAN behind a router, but obviously not 
> safe when the server is exposed to internet.
> 
> Here's what I did to get to the latter situation:
> 1) Install a OpenSSH server on Ubuntu Jaunty and left the configuration 
> at default.
> 2) Install the FreeNX from the repo on launchpad and ran 
> /usr/lib/nx/nxsetup --install. I opted for the default keys.
> 3) During step 2, FreeNX asks me to add
> 
> AuthorizedKeysFile /var/lib/nxserver/home/.ssh/authorized_keys2 and 
> PasswordAuthentication yes
> 
> to sshd_config, and I did.
> 
> Can someone walk me through the steps I need to take next to disable 
> password authentication again, and tell SSH to authenticate only with 
> keys I generate myself, while keeping FreeNX functional?
> 
> If I properly set up SSH first, i.e. to exclusively use keys I generated 
> myself, and then install FreeNX, the client from NoMachine gives an 
> authentication failed message.
> 
> Other than this minor problem (for a newbie like me) FreeNX is 
> impressive. It is so much faster than VNC!

Just replace the embedded key in the NX client with the public key that 
freenx generates (configure, then press the 'key' button and paste in 
the replacement). In Ubuntu-land this should be found somewhere under 
/var/lib/nxserver/home/.

-- 
  Les Mikesell
    lesmikesell at gmail.com