Home / server / Questions / 604903
Accepted
Arc
Asked: 2014-06-14 03:44:49 +0800 CST

Cannot log in to Ubuntu 14.04 LTS server after enabling root login for SSH via PermitRootLogin

  • 772

When trying to log in as root (with public key) to an Ubuntu 14.04 LTS box, the OpenSSH server will just say

Server refused public-key signature despite accepting key!

I have enabled root login by setting PermitRootLogin accordingly and have also restarted SSH with /etc/init.d/ssh restart.

I have also verified that this specific error would not occur if my key were wrong or not in /root/.ssh/authorized_keys.

Why can't I log in ?

Disclaimer: Yeah, I know that using a root account on Ubuntu is not the proper way to do it, but I was told to. Meh.

ubuntu

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    Apparently the problem lies with the seemingly innocuous /etc/init.d/ssh restart.

    Although it does not print any errors, it will simply not restart / reload the server, therefore root login is not yet enabled.

    The solution is to just use service ssh restart. Duh.

    I know that the /etc/init.d way is deprecated but as long as it is still supported I'd prefer using it though.

    Ubuntu's service script should at least fail rather than do nothing, ah well.

    • 2