Hello BernieC,

I would suggest to include the Net::SSH2::debug-(-state-) flag it will help you to identify the problem. Then step by step resolve it. I would also suggest to enable the Net::SSH2::blocking-(-flag-)

On my local node this sample of code works. UnixOS not WindowsOS but it should work for you also (I guess).

#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;
use Net::SSH2;

my $ssh2 = Net::SSH2->new();
$ssh2->debug(1);
$ssh2->blocking(1);
$ssh2->connect('127.0.0.1', 22) # default port 22
    or $ssh2->die_with_error;
$ssh2->auth( publickey => "/home/user/.ssh/id_rsa");
$ssh2->check_hostkey('ask') or $ssh2->die_with_error;
$ssh2->disconnect();

__END__

$ perl test.pl
libssh2_knownhost_init(ss->session) -> 0x11b1a60
Net::SSH2::KnownHosts::DESTROY
Net::SSH2::DESTROY object 0x13cf7a0
[download]

Give it a try and let us know the output.

Hope this helps, BR

$ssh2->check_hostkey(Net::SSH2::LIBSSH2_HOSTKEY_POLICY_ASK(), "d:/prof
+iles/known_hosts.pub") 
    or $ssh2->die_with_error ;
[download]

$ssh2->check_hostkey('advisory', "C:/Cygwin/home/user/.ssh/known_hosts
+") 
    or $ssh2->die_with_error ;
[download]

I tried turning on debugging in SSH2 and I'm not sure what it is telling me but there seems to be a hint at the problem.

d:\Desktop>sshtest
libssh2_knownhost_init(ss->session) -> 0x294be38
Net::SSH2::KnownHosts::DESTROY
Authentication failed (username/password) (-18 LIBSSH2_ERROR_PUBLICKEY
+_UNRECOGNI
ZED) at D:\Desktop\sshtest.pl line 13.
Net::SSH2::DESTROY object 0x247cf08
[download]

It looks almost as though the problem is that the knownhost info is being destroyed before I get to the auth step. The code is

my $ssh2 = Net::SSH2->new(debug => 1);
$ssh2->connect("shell02.theworld.com") or $ssh2->die_with_error ;
$ssh2->check_hostkey('ask', "d:/profiles/known_hosts.pub") 
    or $ssh2->die_with_error ;
$ssh2->auth_password($login{user}, $login{password}) 
    or $ssh2->die_with_error;
[download]

As if the check_hostkey works and so doesn't "die" but the fact that it works is lost before I do the auth. It is probably a rough trip, but I guess I should take a look at the code for auth_password and see what it is expecting for its public key check, and then work backwards to see what check_hostkey is supposed to leave behind to make auth_password happy. Everything is so hard...:o)

I've switched over to Net::SSH::Perl to see if that is any better. I turned on its debugging machinery

{...}
Bernie-7-PC: Host 'shell02.theworld.com' is known and matches the host
+ key.
Bernie-7-PC: Verifying server signature.
Bernie-7-PC: Send NEWKEYS.
Bernie-7-PC: Waiting for NEWKEYS message.
Bernie-7-PC: Enabling encryption/MAC/compression.
Bernie-7-PC: Sending request for user-authentication service.
Bernie-7-PC: Service accepted: ssh-userauth.
Bernie-7-PC: Trying empty user-authentication request.
Bernie-7-PC: Authentication methods that can continue: publickey,keybo
+ard-inter
ctive.
Bernie-7-PC: Next method to try is publickey.
Permission denied at D:\Desktop\sshtest.pl line 15.
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It appears that the server won't accept a "password"! I don't exactly know why it says "empty authentication" and doesn't seem to try sending my password. The code is simple

my $ssh = Net::SSH::Perl->new("shell02.theworld.com", 
                               protocol => 2,
                               debug=>1,
                               strict_host_key_checking => "no",
                               options => ["PasswordAuthentication yes
+"]
                             ) ;
$ssh->login($login{user}, $login{password}) ;
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I'll have to read up on what happens with the SSH "user-authentication service" and try to understand what's happening there. I can see why everyone who has been successful with SSH has reverted to using publickey auth..:o)

Here is the code I'm trying

use Net::SSH2 ;
my ( %login);
my $ssh2 = Net::SSH2->new();
$ssh2->connect("shell02.theworld.com") or $ssh2->die_with_error ;
$ssh2->check_hostkey(Net::SSH2::LIBSSH2_HOSTKEY_POLICY_ADVISORY(), "d:
+/profiles/known_hosts.pub") 
    or $ssh2->die_with_error ;
$ssh2->auth_password($login{user}, $login{password}) 
    or $ssh2->die_with_error;
$ssh2->auth_ok() ;
####
print "Logged in\n" ;
####
[download]

as I posted, it never gets past the "check_hostkey"