Checkout, Frequently Asked Questions!

Password-less SSH#

To configure password-less SSH, generate an SSH key pair and enable it for authentication.

1. Generate an SSH Key Pair#

On Linux/macOS:

Open a terminal and run:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your_email@kaust.edu.sa"

Keys are saved in ~/.ssh/id_rsa (private) and ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub (public).

On Windows:

For Windows 10 or later, open PowerShell/Command Prompt and run:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com"

Keys are saved in C:\Users\<yourname>\.ssh\ by default. Alternatively, use PuTTYgen if you prefer PuTTY.

Note

When prompted, enter a strong passphrase to encrypt your private key.

2. Copy Your Public Key to the Remote System#

Method 1: Using `ssh-copy-id` If available (Linux/macOS/Windows Git Bash):

ssh-copy-id username@ilogin.ibex.kaust.edu.sa

Method 2: Manual Copy If ssh-copy-id is unavailable:

  1. Copy the contents of your public key: - Linux/macOS: ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub - Windows: C:\Users\<yourname>\.ssh\id_rsa.pub

  2. Log in to Ibex with your password:

ssh -X username@ilogin.ibex.kaust.edu.sa
  1. Paste the key into ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on Ibex. If the .ssh directory doesn’t exist:

mkdir -p ~/.ssh
nano ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
  1. Set secure permissions:

chmod 700 ~/.ssh
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

3. Test the SSH Connection#

Verify password-less login:

ssh -X username@ilogin.ibex.kaust.edu.sa

You should only be prompted for your key passphrase (if set), not your Ibex password.

Note

If prompted for a password: - Specify the key path explicitly (if non-default):

ssh -X -i /path/to/id_rsa username@ilogin.ibex.kaust.edu.sa