ssh-broker-g3

ssh-broker-g3 — SSH Connection Broker - Generation 3

Synopsis

ssh-broker-g3 [--mode= gui|cli|silent ] [-f, --config-file=FILE] [-h] [-V]

Description

ssh-broker-g3 (ssh-broker-g3.exe on Windows) is a component of SSH Tectia Client. It handles all cryptographic operations and authentication-related tasks for the SSH Tectia Client programs sshg3, scpg3, sftpg3, and ssh-client-g3.exe (on Windows only).

ssh-broker-g3 uses the Secure Shell version 2 protocol to communicate with a Secure Shell server.

When starting the Connection Broker manually, use the ssh-broker-g3 program. If you want to specify a certain mode for the Connection Broker, use the options described below (gui, cli, or silent).

If you do not specify GUI or command-line mode separately, ssh-broker-g3 will guess which one to use. On Unix, it will use the command-line mode. On Windows, if the current window station is capable of showing interactive user interfaces (always, if running as a logged in user) GUI mode will be used, otherwise command-line mode is used.

You can start the Broker under Unix/Linux using the ssh-broker-g3 command. This means that all following usage of sshg3, sftp or scp will use this instance of the Broker instead of starting a new broker session.

To see all available options:

ssh-broker-g3 --help

The most important arguments are:

-V: Prints the current Broker version and exits.
-f file_path.xml: Reads the configuration from file_path.xml instead of the default location.
--ignore-sigint: Ignores the Ctrl+C signal from the console.
--plugin-path=directory_path: Broker will try to use the authentication and ciphers plugin from directory_path instead of the default plugin path.
--auxdata-path=directory_path: Broker will try to locate some extra data (like DTDs, licenses) from directory_path instead of the default auxiliary path.
--mode=my_mode: Tries to start the Broker in the silent, cli or single-shot mode. On Unix the GUI mode is not available.

Options

The different operation modes of the Connection Broker are the following:

--mode=gui

The Connection Broker performs all user interaction itself using dialog windows launched from the broker process.

--mode=cli

The Connection Broker performs all user interaction itself using the terminal window where the broker is running.

--mode=silent

If the client component using broker is not capable of showing dialogs, all operations requiring user interaction will fail as if the user had selected Cancel or an error occured.

If the client component is capable of showing dialogs, the dialogs are delegated to the client component which then shows them in any way it sees fit.

-f, --config-file=FILE

Use the Connection Broker configuration file FILE.

-h

Displays help and exits.

-V

Displays version string and exits.

Examples of Unix Key Stores Configuration

Software provider

1. To add a single key file (for example: /home/me/keys/enigma and /etc/my_key) you should specify both private file name and public file name for that key:

<key-stores>
<key-store type="software" init="key_files(/home/me/keys/enigma.pub,/home/me/keys/enigma)"/>
<key-store type="software" init="key_files(/etc/my_key.pub,/etc/my_key)"/>
</key-stores>

2. To add all keys from a specific directory (for example all keys from /home/me/all_my_keys and /etc/keys):

<key-stores>
<key-store type="software" init="directory(path(/home/me/all_my_keys))"/>
<key-store type="software" init="directory(path(/etc/keys))"/>
</key-stores>

Entrust provider

You should provide the initialization file and the profile specific file for the Entrust provider. For example:

<key-stores>
<key-store type="entrust" init="ini-file(/etc/entrust.ini),profile-file(/etc/profile.epf)"/>
</key-stores>

PKCS#11 provider

Specify the dynamic library path for the PKCS provider and all or a specific slot. For example:

With all slots:

<key-stores>
<key-store type="pkcs11" init="dll(/usr/lib/pkcs.so),slots(all)"/>
</key-stores>

One slot named sesam:

<key-stores>
<key-store type="pkcs11" init="dll(/usr/local/lib/pkcs.so),slots(sesam)"/>
</key-stores>

Authors

SSH Communications Security Corp.

For more information, see http://www.ssh.com.