# SSH Host Hopping as Root (e.g. between cluster members)

This is to allow the user `root` on a given machine to log in as `root` onto another machine without using a password or a similar authentication.


The `ssh_server::root_host_trust` list in Hiera configures from which devices root is allowed to connect without special configuration:
```
ssh_server::root_host_trust:
  - 'lxdev04.psi.ch'
  - 'lxdev05.psi.ch'
```
From security perspective this nodes should have the same or stricter security rules/setup that the target host.

To actually use host trust the client also needs to configure that while connecting, e.g. in Hiera:

```
ssh_client::try_host_trust: true
```

or spontaneously on the ssh command line with:
```
ssh -o HostbasedAuthentication=yes ...
```
or by setting `HostbasedAuthentication yes` in the appropriate place in the ssh configuration (e.g. `~/.ssh/config`).