{"id":671,"date":"2026-11-08T18:26:18","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T18:26:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/?p=671"},"modified":"2026-11-07T18:40:27","modified_gmt":"2026-11-07T18:40:27","slug":"ssh-permission-denied-publickey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/getserverexplorer.app\/index.php\/2026\/11\/08\/ssh-permission-denied-publickey\/","title":{"rendered":"SSH Permission Denied (publickey): How to Fix It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You try to connect to your Linux VPS, but SSH refuses the connection:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

user@server: Permission denied (publickey).<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
If you see SSH permission denied publickey<\/strong>, the server did not accept any of the SSH authentication methods your client offered. Most often, the username is wrong, the private key doesn’t match, or the server cannot read the authorized public key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are five checks to get you connected without weakening SSH security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Check Your SSH Username<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The correct username depends on how your VPS was configured. For example, Ubuntu cloud images often use ubuntu<\/code>, while other servers may use debian<\/code>, root<\/code>, or a custom user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try the account your hosting provider actually provisioned:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ssh ubuntu@YOUR_SERVER_IP<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
A valid key for one account won’t automatically work for another. Avoid guessing repeatedly; check your VPS provider’s connection instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Make Sure You’re Using the Right Private Key<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
If you have multiple SSH keys, your client might offer the wrong one. Explicitly select the private key that matches the public key installed for your server account:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ssh -i ~\/.ssh\/id_ed25519 -o IdentitiesOnly=yes ubuntu@YOUR_SERVER_IP<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
IdentitiesOnly=yes<\/code> tells SSH to use the specified identity rather than trying unrelated keys from your agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can display the corresponding public key locally with:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ssh-keygen -y -f ~\/.ssh\/id_ed25519<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Compare it with the public key authorized for your account on the server. Never upload or share your private key as part of troubleshooting.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Fix SSH File Permissions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On Linux and macOS, overly permissive private-key files may be rejected by the SSH client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
chmod 700 ~\/.ssh\nchmod 600 ~\/.ssh\/id_ed25519<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
On the server<\/strong>, the target user’s SSH directory and authorized-keys file also need suitable permissions and ownership:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
chmod 700 ~\/.ssh\nchmod 600 ~\/.ssh\/authorized_keys<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Run the server-side commands as the affected user, using an existing console or other authorized access. Ensure the files belong to that user. Don’t run them blindly on another account or assume the same commands apply to Windows ACLs.<\/p>\n\n\n
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4. Verify authorized_keys<\/code> on the Server<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The server must have the public<\/strong> key in the target user’s ~\/.ssh\/authorized_keys<\/code> file, normally one key per line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you cannot log in over SSH, use your VPS provider’s web console or another authorized administrator account to inspect it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Check that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n