I've killed about 10+ hours configuring CVS to run over SSH. I was
having a problem until, out of desperation, I tried making some chmods
755 --- and then success. Why is gosh-darn SSH so picky?

I place a authorized_keys2 file in a UNIX user cvs' .ssh directory and
into another user smiller's .ssh directory.

The authorized_keys2 file of identical length and checksum in both
directories. The chmods on both copies is 755 (one copy in
/home/cvs/.ssh/authorized_keys2) and the second in
/home/smiller/.ssh/authorized_keys2). The cvs copy is owned by cvs.cvs
whereas the smiller copy is owned by smiller.smiller. Similarly for the
..ssh directory. Both are chmod 755 and are owned by their respective
owner and group.

The only gosh darn difference was that /home/cvs was chmod 755 cvs.cvs.
But /home/smiller was chmod 777 smiller.smiller.

That tiny difference is what caused a ssh into smiller to require a
password but sshing in as cvs did not require a password i.e.

> eval $( ssh-agent -s )
> ssh-add [enter passcode]
> ssh -l cvs <host> # this works; I'm logged in and no password is needed.
> ssh -l smiller <host> # this does not work. I am asked for the password.

But if I change /home/smiller to 755 then volai

> ssh -l smiller <host> # it works fine.

What is the deal? Honestly, what is the deal here?