ssh to a remote server

This guide will walk you through the process of setting up passwordless login to a remote server using SSH key pairs. This method is more secure and convenient than using a password.

First, you need to create a new public/private key pair on your local machine.

1. Open a terminal and run the ssh-keygen command:
2. When prompted, save the key to a specific file. For this example, use: /home/user/.ssh/id_rsa_my_remote_host
3. You can set a passphrase for an extra layer of security or leave it blank for a fully automated login.

This creates two files:

• Private Key: id_rsa_my_remote_host (Keep this secure and private on your local machine)
• Public Key: id_rsa_my_remote_host.pub (This will be copied to the server)

Next, you need to install your public key on the remote server.

1. Copy the entire contents of your public key file: id_rsa_my_remote_host.pub.
2. Log into the remote server using your password (this will be the last time you need it).
3. On the remote server, open or create the file ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.
4. Paste your public key on a new line in this file. If the file already contains other keys, simply add yours at the end.
5. Save the file and exit.

You can now connect without a password using the private key.

ssh my_remote_user@my_remote_host_name

To make connecting even easier, you can create a configuration file that remembers your connection details. This eliminates the need to remember usernames, hostnames, or specify the key file every time.

Edit or create the file ~/.ssh/config on your local machine and add the following block:

Host my_remote_host_name
        User my_remote_user
        Hostname my_host_ip_or_name
        PreferredAuthentications publickey
        IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa_my_remote_host

• Host: A friendly alias you will use to connect (e.g., ssh my_server).
• User: Your username on the remote server.
• Hostname: The actual IP address or domain of the server.
• IdentityFile: The path to the private key you generated.