I can execute a ssh command from the command line.
ssh remote_server date
Tue Oct 7 15:39:37 EDT 2008

I have set this up to use key authentication.

I am trying to run the same command in a simple shell script and it fails to connect. Here is the script.

$ cat ssh_test.ksh
#!/bin/ksh
ssh -v -v -v remote_server << EOT
date
EOT
if [ $? -ne 0 ]
then
echo failed
exit 1
fi
exit 0

$ ksh -x ssh_test.ksh
+ ssh -v -v -v remote_server
+ 0<<
Sun_SSH_1.1, SSH protocols 1.5/2.0, OpenSSL 0x0090704f
Pseudo-terminal will not be allocated because stdin is not a terminal.
debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config
debug1: Applying options for *
debug1: Rhosts Authentication disabled, originating port will not be trusted.
debug1: ssh_connect: needpriv 0
debug1: Connecting to remote_server[remote_server] port 22.
debug1: Connection established.
debug3: Not a RSA1 key file /home/mbaker/.ssh/id_rsa.
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----BEGIN'
debug3: key_read: no key found
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug3: key_read: no space
debug2: key_type_from_name: unknown key type '-----END'
debug3: key_read: no key found
debug1: identity file /home/mbaker/.ssh/id_rsa type 1
debug1: identity file /home/mbaker/.ssh/id_dsa type -1
debug1: Remote protocol version 2.0, remote software version OpenSSH_3.9p1
debug1: match: OpenSSH_3.9p1 pat OpenSSH*
debug1: Enabling compatibility mode for protocol 2.0
debug1: Local version string SSH-2.0-Sun_SSH_1.1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes128-cbc,arcfour,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes128-cbc,arcfour,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: en-US
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: en-US
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0
debug1: Failed to acquire GSS-API credentials for any mechanisms (No credentials were supplied, or the credentials were unavailable or inaccessible
Unknown code 0
)
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT sent
debug3: kex_reset_dispatch -- should we dispatch_set(KEXINIT) here? 0 && !0
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEXINIT received
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes128-cbc,arcfour,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-ctr,aes128-cbc,arcfour,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: en-US
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: en-US
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: diffie-hellman-group-exchange-sha1,diffie-hellman-group14-sha1,diffie-hellman-group1-sha1
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: ssh-rsa,ssh-dss
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: aes128-cbc,3des-cbc,blowfish-cbc,cast128-cbc,arcfour,aes192-cbc,aes256-cbc,rijndael-cbc@lysator.liu.se,aes128-ctr,aes192-ctr,aes256-ctr
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: hmac-md5,hmac-sha1,hmac-ripemd160,hmac-ripemd160@openssh.com,hmac-sha1-96,hmac-md5-96
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: none,zlib
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit:
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: first_kex_follows 0
debug2: kex_parse_kexinit: reserved 0
debug2: mac_init: found hmac-md5
debug1: kex: server->client aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none
debug2: mac_init: found hmac-md5
debug1: kex: client->server aes128-ctr hmac-md5 none
debug1: Peer sent proposed langtags, ctos:
debug1: Peer sent proposed langtags, stoc:
debug1: We proposed langtags, ctos: en-US
debug1: We proposed langtags, stoc: en-US
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REQUEST sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_GROUP
debug1: dh_gen_key: priv key bits set: 130/256
debug1: bits set: 1050/2048
debug1: SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_INIT sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_KEX_DH_GEX_REPLY
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: filename /home/mbaker/.ssh/known_hosts
debug3: check_host_in_hostfile: match line 24
debug1: Host '172.21.147.144' is known and matches the RSA host key.
debug1: Found key in /home/mbaker/.ssh/known_hosts:24
debug1: bits set: 1024/2048
debug1: ssh_rsa_verify: signature correct
debug2: kex_derive_keys
debug3: kex_reset_dispatch -- should we dispatch_set(KEXINIT) here? 0 && !0
debug1: newkeys: mode 1
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS sent
debug1: expecting SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS
debug1: newkeys: mode 0
debug1: SSH2_MSG_NEWKEYS received
debug1: done: ssh_kex2.
debug1: send SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_REQUEST
debug2: service_accept: ssh-userauth
debug1: got SSH2_MSG_SERVICE_ACCEPT
debug1: Authentications that can continue: publickey,password,keyboard-interactive
debug3: start over, passed a different list publickey,password,keyboard-interactive
debug3: preferred gssapi-keyex,gssapi-with-mic,publickey,keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_lookup publickey
debug3: remaining preferred: keyboard-interactive,password
debug3: authmethod_is_enabled publickey
debug1: Next authentication method: publickey
debug1: Trying public key: /home/mbaker/.ssh/id_rsa
debug3: send_pubkey_test
debug2: we sent a publickey packet, wait for reply
debug1: Server accepts key: pkalg ssh-rsa blen 277 lastkey 6dfc8 hint 0
debug2: input_userauth_pk_ok: fp a9:0c:d2:54:e1:f5:ca:f4:28:d9:ee:ed:d3:bc:61:72
debug3: sign_and_send_pubkey
debug1: read PEM private key done: type RSA
debug1: Authentication succeeded (publickey)
debug1: fd 4 setting O_NONBLOCK
debug1: channel 0: new [client-session]
debug3: ssh_session2_open: channel_new: 0
debug1: send channel open 0
debug1: Entering interactive session.
debug2: callback start
debug1: ssh_session2_setup: id 0
debug1: channel request 0: env
debug2: Sent request for environment variable LC_CTYPE=en_US.ISO8859-1
debug1: channel request 0: env
debug2: Sent request for environment variable LC_COLLATE=en_US.ISO8859-1
debug1: channel request 0: env
debug2: Sent request for environment variable LC_NUMERIC=en_US.ISO8859-1
debug1: channel request 0: env
debug2: Sent request for environment variable LC_MONETARY=en_US.ISO8859-1
debug1: channel request 0: env
debug2: Sent request for environment variable LC_MESSAGES=C
debug1: channel request 0: shell
debug2: callback done
debug1: channel 0: open confirm rwindow 0 rmax 32768
debug2: channel 0: rcvd adjust 131072
debug1: channel 0: read<=0 rfd 4 len 0
debug1: channel 0: read failed
debug1: channel 0: close_read
debug1: channel 0: input open -> drain
debug1: channel 0: ibuf empty
debug1: channel 0: send eof
debug1: channel 0: input drain -> closed
debug1: client_input_channel_req: channel 0 rtype exit-status reply 0
debug1: channel 0: rcvd eof
debug1: channel 0: output open -> drain
debug1: channel 0: obuf empty
debug1: channel 0: close_write
debug1: channel 0: output drain -> closed
debug1: channel 0: rcvd close
debug3: channel 0: will not send data after close
debug1: channel 0: almost dead
debug1: channel 0: gc: notify user
debug1: channel 0: gc: user detached
debug1: channel 0: send close
debug1: channel 0: is dead
debug1: channel 0: garbage collecting
debug1: channel_free: channel 0: client-session, nchannels 1
debug3: channel_free: status: The following connections are open:
#0 client-session (t4 r0 i3/0 o3/0 fd -1/-1)
debug3: channel_close_fds: channel 0: r -1 w -1 e 6
debug1: fd 0 clearing O_NONBLOCK
debug1: Transferred: stdin 0, stdout 0, stderr 0 bytes in 1.0 seconds
debug1: Bytes per second: stdin 0.0, stdout 0.0, stderr 0.0
debug1: Exit status 1
+ [ 1 -ne 0 ]
+ echo failed
failed
+ exit 1
$

Local server OS is: SunOS bilmaprodse04 5.10 Generic_118833-33 sun4u sparc SUNW,Ultra-4

SSH is:Sun_SSH_1.1, SSH protocols 1.5/2.0, OpenSSL 0x0090704f

Remote server OS is: Linux bilmaprodrac09 2.6.9-42.EL #1 SMP Wed Jul 12 23:25:09 EDT 2006 ia64 ia64 ia64 GNU/Linux

SSH is:OpenSSH_3.9p1, OpenSSL 0.9.7a Feb 19 2003

All help to resolve this is greatly appreciated.