To enable password based authentication on RHEL/Centos machines, login as root to the target host. ( sudo the commands below if you are not logging in as root)
1. Create the password authenticated user if not already created –
- On console run : adduser [username]
- Set a password for the new user: passwd [username]
2. Add the user to sudoers and enable remote login –
- On console run: visudo
- In the file opened for editing, comment out the line – “Defaults requiretty“
- Add the line “[username] ALL=(ALL) ALL” below the line “root ALL=(ALL) ALL“
3. Enable password authentication for SSH.
- vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config
- Replace the line “PasswordAuthentication no” with “PasswordAuthentication yes“. (Uncomment this line if commented.) Save and close this file.
- /etc/init.d/sshd reload
4. To disable password authentication after use, in the above file replace “PasswordAuthentication yes” with “PasswordAuthentication no“; reload sshd as before.
Sreekumar (KJ) has been a hobby programmer from school days. Codemarvels is his personal blog from the year 2010, where he writes about technology, philosophy, society and a bit about physics.
He now runs a conversational AI company – DheeYantra – focusing his efforts to help businesses improve operational efficiency using digital employees powered by AI.