Secure SSH Protocol: Accessing Production Servers | Exam XK0-004

Public Key Access to Linux Production Servers

Question

A junior Linux administrator needs to access production servers using a secure SSH protocol.

Which of the following files should contain the public key to gain remote access to the server?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

D.

https://www.linode.com/docs/security/securing-your-server/

The file that should contain the public key to gain remote access to a Linux server using SSH is the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file. This file is located in the user's home directory, and it contains a list of public keys that are authorized to access the server using SSH.

Here's a more detailed explanation of each of the options:

A. ~/ssh/authorized-keys: This is not a valid path for an authorized keys file. The correct directory is ~/.ssh/.

B. /etc/authorized_keys: This is also not a valid path for an authorized keys file. The correct path is ~/.ssh/authorized_keys, which is located in the user's home directory.

C. /etc/sshd/ssh.conf: This file does not contain authorized keys. Instead, it is the main configuration file for the SSH server, and it contains settings for the server's behavior and security.

D. ~/.ssh/authorized_keys: This is the correct file and location for authorized keys. The ~ symbol represents the user's home directory, and the . before ssh indicates that it is a hidden directory. The authorized_keys file should contain a list of public keys, one per line, that are authorized to access the server using SSH.

Therefore, the correct answer is D. ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.