Using public-key encryption with ssh: run ssh-keygen to generate your keys (for ssh1 and/or ssh2) hit return when it asks you for a pass-phrase -- or supply one. copy your public key to the remote computer's "authorized_keys" file eg: ssh1: ssh-keygen -t rsa1 copy ~/.ssh/identity.pub to the end of the file ~/.ssh/authorized_keys ssh2: ssh-keygen -t rsa copy ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub to the end of the file ~/.ssh/authorized_keys2 Payoff: you can log in without typing a password! ... if you didn't use a pass-phrase.