I created a new CentOS droplet using the option to use existing ssh keys from existing droplets. I’ve been unable to remotely access the droplet except with the DO console. There were two keys in the authorized keys folder. I eventually created a new pair and added the key to authorized_keys. No luck. I’m using putty. I guess it must something on the putty end, or permissions? What am I missing?
This textbox defaults to using Markdown to format your answer.
You can type !ref in this text area to quickly search our full set of tutorials, documentation & marketplace offerings and insert the link!
Hello, @jonsidener
Can you please verify that the ssh-keys are added in the authorized_keys file using the console?
You can temporary enable the PasswordAuthentication for your Droplet by modifying your /etc/ssh/sshdconfig file. Once set to Yes restart the SSH service and connect via an SSH client for a more stable connection. You can then modify your ~/.ssh/authorizedkeys file to add the appropriate public key.
This should do the job for you as well.
The other option is to temporary enable the PasswordAuthentication from no to yes in order to access your droplet using password and then once you’ve entered your key to disable the PasswordAuthentication again. This way is considered more secure than uploading the key to a Dropbox in case you don’t have any other server to us.
- Login to the console on the DigitalOcean website.
- Type sudo nano
/etc/ssh/sshd_config - Change PasswordAuthentication from “no” to “yes” and save the file
- Open a terminal on your computer and type
ssh username@[hostname or IP address]or if on a Windows box use PuTTY for password login making sure authentication parameters aren’t pointing to a private key - Login with a password
- Type sudo nano
~/.ssh/authorized_keys - Paste public key text here and save the file
- Type sudo nano
/etc/ssh/sshd_config - Change PasswordAuthentication from “yes” to “no” and save the file
- Log out and attempt to log back in (if using PuTTY make sure you set up auth parameters to point to your private key)
Hope that this helps! Regards, Alex
Become a contributor for community
Get paid to write technical tutorials and select a tech-focused charity to receive a matching donation.
DigitalOcean Documentation
Full documentation for every DigitalOcean product.
Resources for startups and SMBs
The Wave has everything you need to know about building a business, from raising funding to marketing your product.
The developer cloud
Scale up as you grow — whether you're running one virtual machine or ten thousand.
Get started for free
Sign up and get $200 in credit for your first 60 days with DigitalOcean.*
*This promotional offer applies to new accounts only.