Authorized_keys
Restrict SSH access to only allow rsync
Want to restrict SSH access to only allow rsync file synchronization? This article explains the steps and how to set it up.
Summary
Rsync is still one of the most popular tools to synchronize files between two systems. Although it has a few caveats when dealing with special files, it can do its job very well. In this explainer we will show how to use it in combination with SSH and at the same restrict SSH access to only allow the rsync job to run.
In this article we refer to system01 having the original files and it wants to send them to the receiving system (system02)
Granting temporary access to your servers (using signed SSH keys)
SSH has the capabilities to give a colleague or vendor temporary access to your systems. Learn how to install and configure the related SSH settings.
Summary
In need of support from a colleague or vendor, but don’t want to give them permanent access? SSH has an option to allow temporary access! Next time you need to provide temporary access for an hour or day, use this great option.
Configuration
We have two machines for this purpose. One is a system running Arch Linux, the client system. The other one is a server, running Ubuntu Linux. For temporary support, we have created a functional account support on the Ubuntu server. In the examples along the road, user michael is the one providing the support. So we are going to give him access to the support account. Temporarily!
Distributing SSH keys: using ssh-copy-id, manually or automated
Learn how to get your SSH keys easier to another system using different available methods such as manually or a tool like ssh-copy-id
Summary
When you want to allow public key authentication, you have to first create a SSH keypair. Next step is then the distribution of the public key to the other systems. Let’s have a look at a few options, including using the ssh-copy-id utility.
Option 1: Manually
In the past, you had to log in manually to the new system and do things yourself. Especially if you created your key with a tool like PuTTYgen on Windows. Then you logged in on the other system and created a .ssh directory and the related authorized_keys file. Of course, it was common to forget setting the right permissions, resulting in the authentication failing.