I'm trying to connect to my first Debian server via SSH, but I'm hitting a wall. I set the root password during installation thinking that is what I'd use to SSH into the server. However, when I try to connect, I keep getting a "Permission Denied" message. I know the password is correct because I can log in as root on the server directly. I've checked the SSH configuration and it says `permitrootlogin` is set to `yes`, but when I run `sshd -T | grep -E 'permitrootlogin'`, it shows `permitrootlogin without-password`, which has me confused. Is there something I'm missing here? Just want to get this server online!
3 Answers
You might want to follow a detailed guide for setting up SSH, like the one from Digital Ocean. It covers SSH keys, which are a much better option than password-based login. When you're troubleshooting connection issues, try using the `-vv` flag with SSH—it gives you lots of details on what's going on and can help pinpoint the exact issue.
I feel you! Getting SSH to work can be frustrating. Best practices suggest not using root for logging in via SSH at all. Instead, log in as a normal user and use `sudo` to become root when needed. It's safer and helps avoid making fatal errors. Also, make sure your `.ssh` permissions are set correctly; if they're too open, login might fail.
It’s cool you’re diving into SSH! Just remember, sshd is the server side and SSH is the client. If you've made changes to the configuration file, make sure you've actually restarted the sshd service to apply those changes. Sometimes it can be a bit tricky, but try checking the service status too after restarting.
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