diff --git a/xCAT/postscripts/remoteshell b/xCAT/postscripts/remoteshell
index 66e8a3e84..4c0a4b13e 100755
--- a/xCAT/postscripts/remoteshell
+++ b/xCAT/postscripts/remoteshell
@@ -1,35 +1,45 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/usr/bin/perl
 # IBM(c) 2007 EPL license http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
 #egan@us.ibm.com
 #(C)IBM Corp
 #
+my $homedir = $::ENV{'HOME'};
+if (-r "/etc/ssh/sshd_config")
+{    # readable
 
-if [ -r /etc/ssh/sshd_config ]
-then
-	logger -t xcat "Install: setup /etc/ssh/sshd_config"
-	cp /etc/ssh/sshd_config /etc/ssh/sshd_config.ORIG
-	perl -pi -e 's/^X11Forwarding .*$/X11Forwarding yes/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
-	perl -pi -e 's/^KeyRegenerationInterval .*$/KeyRegenerationInterval 0/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
-	perl -pi -e 's/(.*MaxStartups.*)/#\1/' /etc/ssh/sshd_config
-	echo "MaxStartups 1024" >>/etc/ssh/sshd_config
-	echo "PasswordAuthentication no" >>/etc/ssh/sshd_config
-fi
+    my $msg = "Install: setup /etc/ssh/sshd_config";
+    `logger -t xcat $msg`;
+    `cp /etc/ssh/sshd_config /etc/ssh/sshd_config.ORIG`;
+     # get rid of X11Forwarding setting
+    `perl -pi -e 's/^.*X11Forwarding.*\n//g' /etc/ssh/sshd_config`;  
+     # get rid of KeyRegenerationInterval setting
+    `perl -pi -e 's/^.*KeyRegenerationInterval.*\n//g' /etc/ssh/sshd_config`;  
+     # get rid of MaxStartup setting
+    `perl -pi -e 's/^.*MaxStartups.*\n//g' /etc/ssh/sshd_config`;  
+     # get rid of PasswordAuthentication setting
+    `perl -pi -e 's/^.*PasswordAuthentication.*\n//g' /etc/ssh/sshd_config`;  
+    `echo "KeyRegenerationInterval 0" >>/etc/ssh/sshd_config`;
+    `echo "X11Forwarding yes" >>/etc/ssh/sshd_config`;
+    `echo "MaxStartups 1024" >>/etc/ssh/sshd_config`;
+    `echo "PasswordAuthentication no" >>/etc/ssh/sshd_config`;
+}
 
-if [ -d /xcatpost/.ssh ]
-then
-	logger -t xcat "Install: setup root .ssh"
-	cd /xcatpost/.ssh
-	mkdir -p /root/.ssh
-	cp -f * /root/.ssh
-	chmod 700 /root/.ssh
-	chmod 600 /root/.ssh/*
-fi
-if [ -d /xcatpost/hostkeys ]
-then
-	logger -t xcat "Install: using server provided host key for convenience."
-	cp /xcatpost/hostkeys/*_key /etc/ssh/
-fi
+if (-d "/xcatpost/.ssh")
+{    # directory
+    my $msg = "Install: setup root .ssh";
+    `logger -t xcat $msg`;
+    chdir("/xcatpost/.ssh");
+    mkdir("$homedir/.ssh", 700);
+    `cp -f /xcatpost/ssh/* $homedir/.ssh`;
+     my $cmd="chmod 600 $homedir/.ssh/*";
+    `$cmd`;
+}
+if (-d "/xcatpost/hostkeys")
+{
+    my $msg = "Install: using server provided host key for convenience.";
+    `logger -t xcat $msg`;
+    `cp /xcatpost/hostkeys/*_key /etc/ssh/`;
+}
 
-
-exit 0
+exit 0;