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This is a question regarding the OpenSSH client on Linux, MacOSX and FreeBSD.

Normally, I log into systems using my SSH key.

Occasionally, I want my SSH client to ignore my SSH key and use a password instead. If I 'ssh hostname', my client prompts me for the Passphrase to my SSH key which is an annoyance. Instead, I want the client to simply ignore my SSH key, so that the server will ask me for my password instead.

I tried the following, but I am still prompted for the passphrase to my SSH key. After this, I am prompted for my password.

ssh -o PreferredAuthentications=password host.example.org

I want to do this on the client side, without any modification of the remote host.

7ochem
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Stefan Lasiewski
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2 Answers2

285

Try ssh -o PasswordAuthentication=yes -o PreferredAuthentications=keyboard-interactive,password -o PubkeyAuthentication=no host.example.org

In ssh v2, keyboard-interactive is another way to say "password". The -o PubkeyAuthentication=no option instructs the client not to attempt key pair authentication.

In addition, the PasswordAuthentication=yes option is to override any previously configured ssh options that may have disabled it.

Brian Minton
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Bill Weiss
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3rd party platforms such as virtual private server or cloud providers include their own settings in the Linux images provided which override custom SSH changes.

To enable SSH password authentication these changes also need to be made:

in /etc/ssh/ssd_config edit:

#Include /etc/ssh/sdd_confid./*conf

in /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg edit:

disable_root: false
ssh_pwauth: true

in /etc/cloud/cloud.cfg.d/00_defaults edit:

ssh_pwauth: true
nu_nad
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