Enabling SSH Password Authentication

Introduction

By default, AutoPilot only allows SSH connections using SSH keys. SSH keys are more secure than passwords, as keys effectively cannot be guessed/brute-forced, and are stored locally on your machine. We do not recommend the use of SSH password authentication. However, if you need to use password authentication, it can be enabled.

Enable Password Authentication

Connect to your AutoPilot instance using the Shell Access command found in your AutoPilot deployment's Overview tab. You will need an SSH key to connect initially. You can add your public SSH key in the Security tab in your AutoPilot deployment.

Edit the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file with your preferred text editor. You must run the command with sudo in order to save your changes. For example, to edit the file with nano:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Uncomment the following line:

#PasswordAuthentication yes

Change the following line from:

KbdInteractiveAuthentication no

To:

KbdInteractiveAuthentication yes

Save the changes and close your text editor. If you are using nano, you can save your changes by pressing Ctrl + X, Y, then Enter.

Run the following command to ensure the SSH configuration is valid:

sudo sshd -t

If you do not see any output, then the SSH configuration is valid. If you see errors, they will need to be corrected before continuing.

To apply your changes, reload the SSH service:

sudo systemctl reload ssh

Set a password

You will need to set a password for your SSH user. This can be done with the following command:

sudo passwd USERNAME

Replace USERNAME with your SSH username.

Once this step is complete, you can connect to your AutoPilot instance via SSH using your password.