SSH alias results in SSH usage instructions

Question

I have the following alias in my .bash_profile file:

alias rlogin="ssh -l elykl33t rlogin.server"

Of course this is not the actual username or server address.

When I, after relaunching terminal, type "rlogin" I am met with:

usage: ssh [-1246AaCfgKkMNnqsTtVvXxYy] [-b bind_address] [-c cipher_spec]
           [-D [bind_address:]port] [-e escape_char] [-F configfile]
           [-I pkcs11] [-i identity_file]
           [-L [bind_address:]port:host:hostport]
           [-l login_name] [-m mac_spec] [-O ctl_cmd] [-o option] [-p port]
           [-R [bind_address:]port:host:hostport] [-S ctl_path]
           [-W host:port] [-w local_tun[:remote_tun]]
           [user@]hostname [command]

If I run the command source .bash_profile then the command works fine. Am I doing something wrong? Is this type of command just not possible the way I'm doing it?

Thanks guys!

Answer 1

I get that output too when I type /usr/bin/rlogin with no arguments. My system has this set of symbolic links:

/usr/bin/rlogin -> /etc/alternatives/rlogin
/etc/alternatives/rlogin -> /usr/bin/slogin
/usr/bin/slogin -> ssh

So when you call rlogin, you are calling ssh already.

Your terminals do not launch a login shell, so the changes to .bash_profile do not get seen. Either:

1. log out and log back in.
2. move your alias to .bashrc