Known hosts

After the client connects to the server for the first time and accepts and saves the host key, it is stored in a local database. One solution for eliminating the need to manually verify the host key is for the administrator to pre-populate the database of known hosts on each of the client machines.

Where host keys are stored and the exact format they are stored in is usually client-specific. For example, in SecureCRT or SecureFX, host keys are stored in the user's application data area and can be viewed, imported, or deleted using the Global Options dialog. For VanDyke's Linux and UNIX servers, they are stored in the user's home directory under ~/.vshell/known_hosts.

In addition, most clients also look in a common location. For example, under Linux or UNIX, a common set of known host keys can be found in /usr/local/etc/known_hosts .