How to log using SSH?

System Administration 3 months ago

Logging in with SSH

SSH (Secure Shell) is a protocol for securely connecting to remote servers. It allows you to log in and execute commands on the server as if you were sitting directly at its console. Here's a guide on how to log in using SSH:

Prerequisites:

You'll need to know the IP address or hostname of the server you want to connect to.
You'll also need a valid username and password for that server (or an SSH key pair for more secure authentication).

Steps:

Open a terminal window:
- On Linux and macOS, press Ctrl+Alt+T or search for "Terminal" in your applications.
- On Windows, you can use the Command Prompt or a dedicated SSH client like PuTTY (https://www.putty.org).
Initiate the SSH connection: Type the following command in your terminal window, replacing the placeholders with your actual information:
```
ssh username@server_address
```
- username is your username on the remote server.
- server_address is the IP address or hostname of the server.
For example, to connect to a server with the IP address 192.168.1.100 as the user john, you would type:
```
ssh john@192.168.1.100
```
Verify server identity (first time only):
- The first time you connect to a server, you may see a message about the server's fingerprint. This fingerprint is a unique identifier for the server's encryption key.
- Verify that the fingerprint matches what you expect (usually provided by the server administrator) and type yes to continue.
Enter your password:
- You'll be prompted to enter your password for the username you provided.
- Security Note: The characters you type will not be displayed on the screen for security reasons. Just type your password and press Enter.
Successful Login:
- If the username and password are correct, you'll be logged in to the remote server and see a command prompt that usually displays the username, server name, and current working directory.

Additional Notes:

You can use SSH keys for more secure passwordless login.
For advanced usage, the ssh command supports various options for specifying ports, setting forwarding options, and more. Refer to the ssh man page on your system for detailed information (type man ssh in your terminal).

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully log in to remote servers using SSH. Remember to always practice safe security measures when connecting to remote systems.