Ubuntu 16.04 SSH RSA Keys work but only if password authentication is enabled (Putty)

Question

I have keys setup on my Linux headless server and Putty on my Windows Desktop.
I can connect and authenticate successfully with Putty and authentication is via RSA Keys.

However, if I disable password authentication in sshd_config (PasswordAuthentication no) when I try and connection with Putty I get:

Server refused our key

And yet, if I then enable password authentication again, the key authentication works!

In addition, if I reset permissions of the /.ssh folder and authorized keys to 0700 and 0644, respectively.

I am able to disable password authentication and use the RSA Keys only until system reboot which then returns server refused our key again....

post the whole debug log if you want some insight. It is not possible to answer from these information. — Jakuje, Dec 19 '16 at 16:39
Possible duplicate of SSH is allowing remote connections only after a local login to the server — pa4080, Mar 28 '17 at 10:19

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited Mar 28 '17 at 10:31

1

I had the home directory encrypted, this seems to have been the cause. I re-installed and set up SSH again and it worked fine, as soon as the home directory is encrypted, ssh keys won't work without enabling password authentication in sshd.config - must be a workaround for this but for now this works for me.

edited Mar 28 '17 at 10:31

Zanna

70,465

answered Mar 28 '17 at 09:55

Squid_Vicious

53

Ubuntu 16.04 SSH RSA Keys work but only if password authentication is enabled (Putty)

1 Answers1