[mcunning@localhost mcunning]$ ./collector.pl > mike
localhost.localdomain: Reading configuration data 
/home/mcunning/.ssh/config
localhost.localdomain: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh_config
localhost.localdomain: Connecting to dumbo-temp, port 22.
localhost.localdomain: Remote protocol version 1.99, remote software 
version OpenSSH_3.5p1
localhost.localdomain: Net::SSH::Perl Version 1.23, protocol version 2
+.0.
localhost.localdomain: No compat match: OpenSSH_3.5p1.
localhost.localdomain: Connection established.
localhost.localdomain: Sent key-exchange init (KEXINIT), wait response
+.
localhost.localdomain: Algorithms, c->s: 3des-cbc hmac-sha1 none
localhost.localdomain: Algorithms, s->c: 3des-cbc hmac-sha1 none
localhost.localdomain: Entering Diffie-Hellman Group 1 key exchange.
localhost.localdomain: Sent DH public key, waiting for reply.
localhost.localdomain: Received host key, type 'ssh-dss'.
localhost.localdomain: Host 'dumbo-temp' is known and matches the host
+ 
key.
localhost.localdomain: Computing shared secret key.
localhost.localdomain: Verifying server signature.
localhost.localdomain: Waiting for NEWKEYS message.
localhost.localdomain: Enabling incoming encryption/MAC/compression.
localhost.localdomain: Send NEWKEYS, enable outgoing 
encryption/MAC/compression.
localhost.localdomain: Sending request for user-authentication service
+.
localhost.localdomain: Service accepted: ssh-userauth.
localhost.localdomain: Trying empty user-authentication request.
localhost.localdomain: Authentication methods that can continue: 
publickey,password,keyboard-interactive.
localhost.localdomain: Next method to try is publickey.
localhost.localdomain: Next method to try is password.
localhost.localdomain: Trying password authentication.
localhost.localdomain: Will not query passphrase in batch mode.
localhost.localdomain: Authentication methods that can continue: 
publickey,password,keyboard-interactive.
localhost.localdomain: Next method to try is publickey.
localhost.localdomain: Next method to try is password.
localhost.localdomain: Trying password authentication.
localhost.localdomain: Will not query passphrase in batch mode.
localhost.localdomain: Authentication methods that can continue: 
publickey,password,keyboard-interactive.
localhost.localdomain: Next method to try is publickey.
localhost.localdomain: Next method to try is password.
localhost.localdomain: Trying password authentication.
localhost.localdomain: Will not query passphrase in batch mode.
localhost.localdomain: Authentication methods that can continue: 
publickey,password,keyboard-interactive.
localhost.localdomain: Next method to try is publickey.
localhost.localdomain: Next method to try is password.
Permission denied at ./collector.pl line 34
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the documentation says:

* identity_files 
...
If you don't provide this, 

RSA authentication defaults to using 
  $ENV{HOME}/.ssh/identity, 

and DSA authentication defaults to 
  $ENV{HOME}/.ssh/id_dsa.
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So if your identity is in id_rsa.pub maybe you should let the object know that during instantiation:

my $ssh = Net::SSH::Perl->new(
    $host, 
    identity_files => ["$ENV{HOME}/.ssh/id_rsa.pub"],
  );
[download]

That helped but didnt solve the problem.. now it is trying to use public key auth but it fails cause its in batch mode and it thinks it needs a passphrase. I put it in interactive mode but it now demands a passphrase (which the key doesnt have) and fails when I just hit enter. I need it to use batch mode and public key.. Thanks for your help.. Crayola

Well it looks like it pays to read the authors ToDO file. for Net::ssh::Perl. It only supports dsa public key authentication not rsa. As soon as I setup a dsa key it worked great. Thanks all for your help. Crayola