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Just Lucky Really
Asked: 2014-09-02 13:25:09 +0800 CST

Disable login prompt through SSH when no key is present

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I've set OpenSSH server with private/public keys, with password login disabled.

I was wondering if there was a way to not even show the 'login:' prompt when someone without a key tries to connect.

EDIT

Okay ... There seems to be some confusion as to what I'm trying to achieve. So, here's a better explanation (I hope) ...

Current setup

Client with key connects, and goes through the process:

login as: username
BANNER
Authenticating with public key "Key name"
Passphrase for key "key name": *******
Welcome
username@hostname:~$

Client without key connects, and goes through process:

login as: username
BANNER
Server refused our key

What I want

client without key connects, and goes through process:

No key, go away.
openssh

1 Answers

  1. On the server side, edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config so that you have the line:

    PasswordAuthentication no

    then restart the server:

    sudo service sshd restart

    That will remove the ability to authenticate without a key.

    However, you will always have to identify yourself, so you can't remove the login prompt.

    If you use ssh username@hostname to connect, you'll never see it, but others will if they connect to the hostname with no username.

    You can limit access to only your username with a key if you add to the above:

    AllowUsers username

    For this and other things, see the Ubuntu wiki page for SSH.

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