Trying to create a socks (-D) ssh tunnel - Linux box to Linux box (both centos): sshd running on remote side ok. From local machine we do / see this: ssh -D 1080 [email protected]. [email protected]'s password: bind: Cannot assign requested address (where 8.8.8.8 is really my server's IP and 'user' is my real username) I am logged into the remote side in this terminal-window. I can verify that the local port was unused prior to this command, and then used by an ssh process, after the command, via: netstat -lnp | grep 1080 So, unlike most googled-responses with this error, the problem would not seem to be the loopback interface assignment. If I try to use this tunnel with a mail client, the local-side permits the attempt (no 'proxy-failed' error), but no data / reply is returned. On the remote side, I do have "PermitTunnel yes" in my sshd_config (though 'yes' should be the default, anyway). Ideas or Clues? Here is the relevant debug-output OpenSSH_5.3p1, OpenSSL 1.0.0-fips 29 Mar 2010 debug1: Reading configuration data /etc/ssh/ssh_config debug1: Applying options for * .... debug1: Authentication succeeded (password). debug1: Local connections to LOCALHOST:1080 forwarded to remote address socks:0 debug1: Local forwarding listening on 127.0.0.1 port 1080. debug1: channel 0: new [port listener] debug1: Local forwarding listening on ::1 port 1080. bind: Cannot assign requested address debug1: channel 1: new [client-session] debug1: Entering interactive session. debug1: Sending environment. debug1: Sending env LANG = en_US.utf8 Other clue: If I run a Virtual Box on the client running Windows, open a tunnel with putty in that box, that tunnel, to the same remote server, works.