Manually Editing the Authorization File
The authorization file can be edited either locally on your own computer and then transferred to the remote host computer, or directly on the remote host.
Editing the authorization file locally
Create a plain text file called authorization on the your local computer (for example by using Notepad).
When in the text editor, add a new line containing the word key, a space and the file name of the public key. For example, if the public key file name is id_dsa_1024_a.pub, add the following line to the authorization file:
key id_dsa_1024_a.pub
(Substitute your public key filename for id_dsa_1024_a.pub.) If you have multiple keypairs which you use to authenticate, put each on a separate line:
key pub_key_one.pub
key pub_key_two.pub
Make sure to save the file as "authorization" (to omit the default file
extension .txt, enclose the file name in quotation marks) and exit the
text editor.
Then upload the authorization file to the ~/.ssh2 directory
(or, in case of a Windows Server, in the .ssh2 directory located under
your user profile directory).
Editing the authorization file on a UNIX server
Alternatively you can edit the authorization file remotely on a UNIX
server. Connect to the host using the terminal window. Your home directory
should contain the .ssh2 subdirectory (note that the first character of
the folder name is a full stop).
First make sure that your current directory is your home directory. Type the
following command after the remote host computer command prompt and press the
Enter key:
cd
Then enter the .ssh2 subdirectory by issuing the following command after the command prompt:
cd .ssh2
The .ssh2 directory should contain a text file called authorization. You have to edit that file and add your public key file name on a separate line in that file. If the authorization file does not yet exist, you will create it now.
Start your favorite text editor by typing authorization as a parameter after the name of the text editor. For example, if your favorite text editor is Pico, type the following after the remote host computer's command prompt:
pico authorization
When in the text editor, add a new line containing the word key, a space and the file name of the public key. For example, if the public key file name is id_dsa_1024_a.pub, add the following line to the authorization file:
key id_dsa_1024_a.pub
Now save the authorization file and exit the text editor.
When you login the next time, public-key authentication should be working. If it does not work, check that you have typed the public key file name correctly in the authorization file, and that the correct public key file is located in the .ssh2 directory on the remote host computer. Also if you connected using the Quick Connect option, check that you have "Public Key" selected as the authentication method.
