Configure Key-based Authentication For Ssh

General Information

About this page/how-to/script.

Start from source system.

Generate public/private key pair

ssh-keygen

• By default, uses type “rsa”
• Private key in /home/<user>/.ssh/id_rsa
• Public key in /home/<user>/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Copy from source to destination server

ssh-copy-id user@10.0.0.5

Add private key passphrase to ssh-agent

1) Check to see if ssh-agent is running

eval $(ssh-agent)
Agent pid 6599

• Example of it running

2a) If not running, start it

ssh-agent bash

2b) If running, or after starting it, execute the following

ssh-add

• This allows for remote connecting without entering in any private key passphrase (if entered when key was generated)
• This step can be skipped if no pass-phrase was entered while generating the key.

Execute Command on remote system

ssh user@10.0.0.1 "ls -la"