Passwordless login to Linux through SSH public and private keys on Windows

Passwordless login to Linux through SSH public and private keys on Windows

1. Generate an SSH key pair on Windows:

   • Open a command prompt or PowerShell window.

   • Enter the following command to generate an SSH key pair:

     ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096
     

   • Follow the prompts to enter the key storage path and password (optional).

   • The public key file (with .pub as suffix) and private key file (without suffix) will be generated under the specified path.

2. Copy the public key to the Linux server:

   • Copy the generated public key file (for example id_rsa.pub) to your Linux server.

   • Copy the public key file to your Linux server using the SCP command, for example:

     scp id_rsa.pub username@linux_server_ip:~/.ssh/authorized_keys
     

   • This will copy the public key file to ~/.ssh/authorized_keysa file on the Linux server.

3. Configure Linux server permissions:

   • On a Linux server, make sure ~/.sshthe permissions of the directory are set to 700 with the command:

     chmod 700 ~/.ssh
     

   • Then, make sure ~/.ssh/authorized_keysthe permissions of the file are set to 600, the command is:

     chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
     

4. Try logging in without a password:

   • You should now be able to connect to your Linux server using SSH from your local computer on Windows without entering a password.

   • From a Windows Command Prompt or PowerShell window, use the following command to connect to your Linux server:

     ssh username@linux_server_ip
     

   • If everything is set up correctly, you will be able to log in directly to your Linux server without entering a password.