OpenSSH Server
Introduction
This section of the Ubuntu Server Guide introduces a powerful collection of tools for the remote control of networked computers and transfer of data between networked computers, called OpenSSH. You will also learn about some of the configuration settings possible with the OpenSSH server application and how to change them on your Ubuntu system.
OpenSSH is a freely available version of the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol family of tools for remotely controlling a computer or transferring files between computers. Traditional tools used to accomplish these functions, such as telnet or rcp, are insecure and transmit the user’s password in cleartext when used. OpenSSH provides a server daemon and client tools to facilitate secure, encrypted remote control and file transfer operations, effectively replacing the legacy tools.
The OpenSSH server component, sshd, listens continuously for client connections from any of the client tools. When a connection request occurs, sshd sets up the correct connection depending on the type of client tool connecting. For example, if the remote computer is connecting with the ssh client application, the OpenSSH server sets up a remote control session after authentication. If a remote user connects to an OpenSSH server with scp, the OpenSSH server daemon initiates a secure copy of files between the server and client after authentication. OpenSSH can use many authentication methods, including plain password, public key, and Kerberos tickets.
Installation
Installation of the OpenSSH client and server applications is simple. To install the OpenSSH client applications on your Ubuntu system, use this command at a terminal prompt:
Sudo apt-get install openssh-client
To install the OpenSSH server application, and related support files, use this command at a terminal prompt:
Sudo apt-get install openssh-server
The openssh-server package can also be selected
to install during the Server Edition installation process.
Configuration
You may configure the default behavior of the OpenSSH server application, sshd, by editing the file /etc/ssh/sshd_config. For information about the configuration directives used in this file, you may view the appropriate manual page with the following command, issued at a terminal prompt:
Man sshd_config
There are many directives in the sshd configuration file controlling such things as communication settings and authentication modes. The following are examples of configuration directives that can be changed by editing the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file.
Prior to editing the configuration file, you should make a copy of the original file and protect it from writing so you will have the original settings as a reference and to reuse as necessary.
Copy the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file and protect it from writing with the following commands, issued at a terminal prompt:
Sudo cp /etc/ssh/sshd_config /etc/ssh/sshd_config. original
Sudo chmod a-w /etc/ssh/sshd_config. original
The following are examples of configuration directives you may change:
To set your OpenSSH to listen on TCP port 2222 instead of the default TCP port 22, change the Port directive as such:
Port 2222
To have sshd allow public key-based login credentials, simply add or modify the line:
PubkeyAuthentication yes
In the /etc/ssh/sshd_config file, or if already present, ensure the line is not commented out.
To make your OpenSSH server display the contents of the /etc/issue. net file as a pre-login banner, simply add or modify the line:
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