UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi there,

I have a Linux Debian machine with the following fingerprint :
e1:95:11:46:ff:d1:e3:4a:a3:34:1a:25:b4:d8:f1:cb.

I'd like to set this fingerprint to :
cd:19:bd:f6:8e:00:7a:69:14:52:a1:73:cb:15:a5:ca.

I have very specific reasons to do that. So please only answer if you know how to do that and don't tell me that I should not do that.

The second fingerprint is actually used by another machine that I have access to if reading some file is necessary.

Thanks for your help
Santiago

the answer is to change the key itself.

the finger print is generated directly from the key.
you cant change the finger print without changing the key.

the real question is how to get the same RSA key on both servers...

The fingerprints are actually cryptographic hashes of the keys, and those are non-reversible. You can either try to brute-force search for the correct key (see you in about 1000 years ), or if possible copy the private and public key of the other machine to yours.

Thanks robsonde and pludi for your help.
As I said, I have complete administration access on both machines :
+ One is the real server at the office.
+ The other one is a "fake" machine that I use to simulate the first one at home.

I sometime need to simulate ssh connections and it fails at home because the pseudo-server has a different fingerprint.

So thanks to your messages, it looks like I just have to copy some key from one machine to the other one and regenerate the fingerprint...

Hummmm...

Do you have any idea of what files and commands we are talking about?

Thanks anyway
Santiago

Files: /etc/ssh/ssh_host_{rsa,dsa}_key{,.pub}

Should be enough to just copy them over, maybe a ssh reload.

Thanks pludi,

You're entirely right!
Copying the files was enough. Not even done a ssh reload.
My computer could not tell the difference!

Thanks a lot
Santiago