the problem is in this file https://github.com/openssh/openssh-portable/blob/master/contrib/ssh- copy-id
in line 335 dropbear*) populate_new_ids 0 [ "$DRY_RUN" ] || printf '%s\n' "$NEW_IDS" | \ $SSH "$@" "$(installkeys_sh /etc/dropbear/authorized_keys)" \ || exit 1 ADDED=$(printf '%s\n' "$NEW_IDS" | wc -l) ;; dropbear only uses the file /etc/dropbear/authorized_keys if it was patched in the upstream version of dropbear the patch is not included im working with some embedded systems where the file /etc/dropbear/authorized_keys is not writeable with older ubuntu systems ssh-copy-id was working but since that change in ssh-copy-id can't install the ssh key anymore ** Changed in: openssh (Ubuntu) Status: Incomplete => New -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1966886 Title: ssh-copy-id and Dropbear Server To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/openssh/+bug/1966886/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs