key_auth If you want to use pubkey authentication, then you need to call key_auth. user "bob"; private_key "/home/bob/.ssh/id_rsa"; # passphrase-less key public_key "/home/bob/.ssh/id_rsa.pub"; key_auth; #### group "servers", "server_big" => { user => 'my_user', private_key => '/home/user/key.pem', key_auth => 1 };