How to Resolve SSH Permission Denied (publickey) Error (2024)

FAQs

How to Resolve SSH Permission Denied (publickey) Error? ›

To address this error, edit the default SSH configuration file. Locate the PasswordAuthentication attribute and set it to yes as shown below. Save the changes and exit the configuration file. Then restart the SSH service for the changes to come into effect.

To address this error, edit the default SSH configuration file. Locate the PasswordAuthentication attribute and set it to yes as shown below. Save the changes and exit the configuration file. Then restart the SSH service for the changes to come into effect.

If you receive this error, check for the following issues: The password is incorrect. The SSH key is missing on your local computer or on the Droplet. You are trying to use a password, but PasswordAuthentication is disabled in sshd_config.

To fix the error, you must first ensure that your keys are configured correctly on both the client and server, reset the permissions on the “authorized_keys” file, and check the server's SSH configuration. You may need to generate new keys and update your “authorized_keys” file on the server to resolve the issue.

For example, if you encounter “Permission Denied” while reading a file, you can use sudo cat filename to read the file with superuser permissions. This grants you the necessary access to bypass permission restrictions and read the file content.

To change the permissions of all of the files within that directory, type “chmod -R 755 directoryname” . (Replace “directoryname” with the actual name of the directory.) If you wish to only change permissions for one file, type “chmod 755 filename“. Type “exit” to log out of the SSH session when you are done.

Why is my Linux server not accepting SSH connections? ›

Therefore, if you receive the SSH "connection refused" error, it may be because you are attempting to connect to the SSH server on the default port 22 while it is running on some different port. After identifying the correct SSH port, try connecting to your remote system using that specific port.

Verify that the host IP address is correct for the Droplet. Verify that your network supports connectivity over the SSH port being used. Some public networks may block port 22 or custom SSH ports. You can do this by, for example, testing other hosts using the same port with a known working SSH server.

Incorrect SSH credentials or port configuration can also result in the “Connection Refused” error. Typos or inaccuracies in the SSH username, password, hostname, or port can cause the server to reject the connection request, triggering the error message.

Typos or incorrect credentials are common reasons for a refused SSH connection. This includes errors in the specified username or password, or wrong IP address. Any discrepancies lead to authentication failure and result in the connection being refused.