# .ssh/config host alias not working with distcc

## chaoscommander

Does this belong in Networking (b/c ssh) or in Portage (b/c distcc)? Hmm.

I'm trying to setup distcc over ssh. I have generated a key pair for passwordless auth and defined an alias in .ssh/config, like so:

```

Host abc

  HostName abcde.org

  User myuser

```

... and I added the entry @abc/6 to my distcc hosts file. What works: using "ssh abc" to connect to abcde.org as myuser. What doesn't: distcc over ssh. I get

```
ssh: Could not resolve hostname abc: Name or service not known

distcc[15243] (dcc_writex) ERROR: failed to write: Broken pipe
```

No idea why. Any pointers would be appreciated. I have tried to add myuser@abcde.org to distcc hosts, but that causes a password prompt to come up every time distcc tries to distribute things to abc.

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## khayyam

chaoscommander ...

this sounds as though you're expecting portage to look in /home/$USER for the identity_file and config ... you will need to provide these (paths) as ssh parameters (see 'man ssh'), /etc/portage/.ssh would probably be a good choice.

HTH & best ... khay

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## krinn

the @ is just saying "use ssh", in no way it mean that's a command for ssh.

so "@abc" is @=use ssh, with "abc" host, and if your /etc/hosts doesn't point to any abc entry, distcc will tell you it have no clue about who abc is.

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