Can we use JSch for SSH key-based communication?

Question

I am using JSch for sftp communication, now i want to use facilitate the key-based authentication, key is loaded on client and server machine once by my network team and all later communication would be only user based for which we have loaded the key.

sftp -oPort=10022 jmark@192.18.0.246

as tjill@192.18.0.135

like this command work fine and connect to the sftp, how i can achieve this functionality programmatically.

if it is not possible using JSch, please suggest some other library. I came across Apache SSHD.

Answer 1

It is possible. Have a look at JSch.addIdentity(...)

This allows you to use key either as byte array or to read it from file.

import com.jcraft.jsch.Channel;
import com.jcraft.jsch.ChannelSftp;
import com.jcraft.jsch.JSch;
import com.jcraft.jsch.Session;

public class UserAuthPubKey {
    public static void main(String[] arg) {
        try {
            JSch jsch = new JSch();

            String user = "tjill";
            String host = "192.18.0.246";
            int port = 10022;
            String privateKey = ".ssh/id_rsa";

            jsch.addIdentity(privateKey);
            System.out.println("identity added ");

            Session session = jsch.getSession(user, host, port);
            System.out.println("session created.");

            // disabling StrictHostKeyChecking may help to make connection but makes it insecure
            // see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/30178936/jsch-sftp-security-with-session-setconfigstricthostkeychecking-no
            // 
            // java.util.Properties config = new java.util.Properties();
            // config.put("StrictHostKeyChecking", "no");
            // session.setConfig(config);

            session.connect();
            System.out.println("session connected.....");

            Channel channel = session.openChannel("sftp");
            channel.setInputStream(System.in);
            channel.setOutputStream(System.out);
            channel.connect();
            System.out.println("shell channel connected....");

            ChannelSftp c = (ChannelSftp) channel;

            String fileName = "test.txt";
            c.put(fileName, "./in/");
            c.exit();
            System.out.println("done");

        } catch (Exception e) {
            System.err.println(e);
        }
    }
}