Also, Net::SSH::Perl does not have any XS code itself, it is pure Perl. Some of the modules it depends on need a C compiler to build, but if you can get pre-built packages of all the prerequisites, you won't need a compiler.

I spent some time a few weeks back getting all the necessary modules for Net::SSH::Perl packaged as RPMs, so if anyone is interested, I could probably make them available (there are *lots* of dependencies). I'd rather not post a public URL for providing crypto since I don't know exactly what hoops I'd need to jump through to have it be legit, so please just /msg or email me. If it's useful, I could provide just the SPEC files, though.

I'm running on Win32, and although there are lots of SSH clients out there, not much has been done for servers. I'm more interested in basing an application-level communication system on it, than in supporting the actual sshd features, so that should be simpler.

I thought Perl could be a good starting point to tinkering, especially since btrott's OpenPGP is available. So, perhaps his client is a good place to start, since the actual transport is the same in both directions.

As for distributing the crypto, encrypt it using OpenPGP and post the key too. Only someone who already has access to that technology can read it. Or does that assume the feds can think logically...?

—John

If you're going to base an "application-level communication system" on it, why not just use SSL instead of SSH? If you don't need the "actual sshd features" (assuming you mean user authentication and command execution), I would guess that SSL is a better fit. To have an SSHD under Win32, you have to hack a unix-y authentication somehow, which seems like it could be a frustrating can of worms to open, especially if all you need is an encrypted channel for communication.

There is of course Net::SSH::Perl a pure Perl implementation (albeit with some XS dependencies) - it only implements an SSH client unfortunately.

/J\