my $ssh = Net::SSH::Perl->new($host, debug=>1, protocol=>'2', identity_files=>["/Users/jaldama /.ssh/id_dsa.pub"],
);
$ssh->login($user);
.
.
.


##</code><code>##

jaldama$ perl hostcheck.pl
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Reading configuration data /Users/jaldama/.ssh/config
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh_config
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Connecting to localhost, port 22.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_5.2
Math::BigInt: couldn't load specified math lib(s), fallback to Math::BigInt::FastCalc at /Library/Perl/5.10.0/Crypt/DH.pm line 6
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Net::SSH::Perl Version 1.34, protocol version 2.0.
.ackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: No compat match: OpenSSH_5.2
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Connection established.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Sent key-exchange init (KEXINIT), wait response.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Algorithms, c->s: 3des-cbc hmac-sha1 none
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Algorithms, s->c: 3des-cbc hmac-sha1 none
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Entering Diffie-Hellman Group 1 key exchange.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Sent DH public key, waiting for reply.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Received host key, type 'ssh-dss'.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Host 'localhost' is known and matches the host key.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Computing shared secret key.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Verifying server signature.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Waiting for NEWKEYS message.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Send NEWKEYS.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Enabling encryption/MAC/compression.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Sending request for user-authentication service.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Service accepted: ssh-userauth.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Trying empty user-authentication request.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Authentication methods that can continue: publickey,keyboard-interactive.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Next method to try is publickey.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Trying pubkey authentication with key file '/Users/jaldama/.ssh/id_dsa.pub'
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Will not query passphrase for '/Users/jaldama/.ssh/id_dsa.pub' in batch mode.
Jackie-Aldamas-MacBook.local: Loading private key failed.
Permission denied at hostcheck.pl line 18