ssh permissions | DENIED – clickety-clack.click

Set up your client

Generate your key.
```
ssh-keygen
```
Configure ssh to use the key.
```
vim ~/.ssh/config
```
Your config file should have something similar to the following:
```
Host SERVERNAME
Hostname ip-or-domain-of-server
User USERNAME
PubKeyAuthentication yes
IdentityFile ./path/to/key
```
You can add IdentitiesOnly yes to ensure ssh uses the specified IdentityFile and no other keyfiles during authentication. Setting IdentitiesOnly prevents failed authentications from occurring, when ssh would otherwise attempt to login with multiple keys. Setting this is also considered more secure, as you're not leaking information about other keys you have installed, and maintaining separation of your keys between different levels of access.
Copy your key to your server.
```
ssh-copy-id -i /path/to/key.pub SERVERNAME`
```
For example, ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_res.pub -p 22 user@1.1.1.1

Troubleshooting

use "-vvv" option
Make sure the server has your PUBLIC key (.pub).
Make sure your IdentiyFile points to your PRIVATE key.
Make sure your
```
.ssh
```
directory has 700 and the files within are 600 permissions.
- ssh-keygen will create files and directories for you with the proper permissions
tail -f /var/log/auth.log (on the server) and monitor errors when you attempt to login
If you have many key files, try IdentitiesOnly yes to limit the authentication to use the single, specified key.

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answered Jun 23, 2013 at 21:04

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4

FYI, I created a small script at github.com/centic9/generate-and-send-ssh-key which runs the necessary steps in one go and additionally ensures all the file/directory permissions which always caused me headaches…

– centic

Oct 7, 2015 at 11:30
6

Just to elaborate step 2: the IdentityFile line in ~/.ssh/config must point to the PRIVATE key.

– Danny Schoemann

Aug 30, 2017 at 14:19
1

Indeed.

– earthmeLon

Jun 12, 2018 at 20:40
6

I wonder why you'd want to set files to have execute permission in step 4?

– Todd Walton

Nov 7, 2018 at 13:43
1

It's also very important right permissions per user (use chown and chmod) otherwise you will get an authentication denied even if you server has your public key.

– joseluisq

Jul 23, 2019 at 7:40
1

Why does every question like this contain an answer that tells you to start by generating the key using ssh-keygen? OP already said he has a public and private key.

– Aaron Franke

Sep 22, 2019 at 20:10
2

Posterity and completeness is why.

– earthmeLon

Sep 28, 2019 at 21:48
6

While the directory requires 700 permissions, the files do not, they should be 600.

– openCivilisation

Oct 24, 2020 at 10:13
tail -f /var/log/auth.log gave the required info for me

– Shankar Thyagarajan

May 17, 2022 at 10:56
authorized_keys needs 644 I think.

– KuN

Jul 29 at 2:47
600 on authorized_keys is the default and all you need under most circumstances.

– earthmeLon

Aug 1 at 15:03

ssh permissions | DENIED