Enabling SSH on a Minimal Solaris 10 Install

After a core solaris 10 install I was having problems sshing into it.

So this is what i did.

1. FTP the SSH packages from the solaris CD/DVD to the solaris machine

root@srv-3 Product # cp -R SUNWsshcu SUNWsshdr SUNWsshdu SUNWsshr
SUNWsshu /home/srv-1/sshpkg/
root@srv-3 Product # cd /home/srv-1/sshpkg/
root@srv-3 sshpkg # ls
SUNWsshcu SUNWsshdr SUNWsshdu SUNWsshr SUNWsshu
root@srv-3 sshpkg # tar -cf ../ssh.tar *
root@srv-3 sshpkg # tar -tf ../ssh.tar
SUNWsshcu/
SUNWsshcu/archive/
.
.
.
SUNWsshu/reloc/
SUNWsshu/reloc/usr/
SUNWsshu/reloc/usr/bin/
SUNWsshu/reloc/usr/lib/
SUNWsshu/reloc/usr/lib/ssh/
root@srv-3 sshpkg #

Make sure you DO NOT use a windows box to send the files as the solaris installer pkgadd is case sensitive and for some reason windows was making all the file names inside the DVD in uppercase.

2. On solaris side

tar -xf ssh.tar
pkgadd -d .
svcadm enable ssh
svcadm restart ssh

3. Still I was getting an error “no kex alg” on sshing as root

For this run
/lib/svc/method/sshd -c

It'll make rsa and dsa public and private key pairs

4. Restart ssh

svcadm restart ssh

5. Voila !! Done