rhostsauthentication fails. (Or why I hate poorly documented software.)

[jeff at ntcor.com]

I have a ssh enabled server and client machine (we'll call them "server"
and "client" respectively...)

They both have proper RSA and DSA keys,using protocol version 2 works
fine between them. (so ssh itself and the network is working fine)

However, I want to get something that will work with rsync without having
to manually enter passwords, passphrases, or enter such information hardcoded
in scripts.

I figured I'ld first get rhosts authentication working and then move to
rhosts/RSA authentication (if that doesn't require passphrase.)

first things first... rhosts authentication...

Here's the sshd_config from the server...

  Protocol 1
  RSAAuthentication no
  PasswordAuthentication no
  RhostsAuthentication yes
  IgnoreRhosts no

I have "client" listed in the /etc/hosts.equiv file and...
(for testing purposes.) "rlogin server" from the client works fine,
login is granted without a password. So I know rhosts authentication
is configured correctly for at least rsh.

However here's what "ssh -v server" on the client gives me...

  SSH Version OpenSSH-2.1, protocol versions 1.5/2.0.
  Compiled with SSL (0x0090581f).
  debug: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config
  debug: Applying options for *
  debug: Seeding random number generator
  debug: ssh_connect: getuid 500 geteuid 500 anon 1
  debug: Connecting to server [servers ip] port 22.
  debug: Connection established.
  debug: Remote protocol version 1.5, remote software version OpenSSH_2.1.1
  debug: Local version string SSH-1.5-OpenSSH-2.1
  debug: Waiting for server public key.
  debug: Received server public key (768 bits) and host key (1024 bits).
  debug: Host 'server' is known and matches the RSA host key.
  debug: Seeding random number generator
  debug: Encryption type: 3des
  debug: Sent encrypted session key.
  debug: Installing crc compensation attack detector.
  debug: Received encrypted confirmation.
  ssh_userauth: server supports no auth methods
  debug: Calling cleanup 0x8059c34(0x0)

Notice that the client thinks the server doesn't support any authentication
methods.  Which should not be true because the last line of sshd_config
specifically allows RhostsAuthentication and does not ignore the rhosts
files.

Anybody have a clue what I've done wrong? For some reason it appears that
the sshd server ignores the "RhostsAuthentication yes" line and doesn't
add rhosts authentication to its list of authentication methods to support.

Which isn't what the sshd/ssh man pages document the behavior to be.

- Jeff