SSH Key Authentication on Linux Servers (Step-by-Step)

Secure your Linux servers with SSH key authentication instead of passwords.

Step 1: Generate SSH Key Pair

Run ssh-keygen -t ed25519 on your local machine or workstation.

Step 2: Copy Public Key to Server

Use ssh-copy-id user@server-ip to install your public key on the server.

Step 3: Test Passwordless Login

Connect with ssh user@server-ip — you should log in without a password prompt.

chmod 700 ~/.ssh && chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Terminal screenshots are original illustrations created for Gnome IT Solutions (blog.gnomeitsolutions.com).