OpenSSH on Linux Mint - Shell/Bash

What is OpenSSH?

OpenSSH is a freely available version of the SSH protocol suite of network connectivity tools that provides secure encrypted communications between two untrusted hosts over an insecure network. It is a combination of the SSH client and server and allows users to login to a remote machine securely.

Installing OpenSSH on Linux Mint

OpenSSH is usually pre-installed on most Linux distributions, including Linux Mint. If not, you can install it using the following command:

sudo apt-get install openssh-server

This will install the OpenSSH server on your Linux Mint distribution.

Using OpenSSH to connect to a remote machine

You can use the ssh command to connect to a remote machine securely. The basic syntax for using the ssh command is as follows:

ssh [username]@[remote machine IP address]

For example, if your username is john and the IP address of the remote machine is 192.168.1.10, you would use the following command:

ssh john@192.168.1.10

This will initiate a secure connection to the remote machine where you can execute commands and run scripts remotely.

Key-based authentication with OpenSSH

One of the most popular ways of authenticating with OpenSSH is using key-based authentication. This involves generating a public and private key pair on your local machine, and copying the public key to the remote machine. This allows you to log in to the remote machine without entering a password.

To generate a new key pair, use the following command:

ssh-keygen

This will generate a public and private key pair in the ~/.ssh directory on your local machine.

To copy the public key to the remote machine, you can use the following command:

ssh-copy-id [username]@[remote machine IP address]

This will copy the public key to the ~/.ssh directory on the remote machine.

After copying the public key to the remote machine, you can log in to the remote machine without entering a password.

Conclusion

OpenSSH is a powerful tool that allows you to securely connect to remote machines using the SSH protocol. It is pre-installed on most Linux distributions, including Linux Mint, and can be used to execute commands and run scripts remotely. By using key-based authentication, you can log in to remote machines without entering a password, making remote access more secure and convenient.

Remember to always use secure passwords and keep your private key safe.