How to Add SSH Key for a New User on VPS (Ubuntu/Debian)

You can allow other users to access your VPS securely by adding their SSH public key. This method works for Ubuntu, Debian, and similar Linux OS.

Prerequisites

• VPS with root SSH access.

• SSH Key from the user you want to add (public key file).

• The user must exist on the VPS. (You can create with: adduser username)

Steps to Add SSH Key for a User

1. Switch to Root

Login to your VPS as root:

ssh root@your_server_ip

2. Create .ssh Directory for the User

Replace username with the actual username:

mkdir -p /home/username/.ssh
chmod 700 /home/username/.ssh
chown username:username /home/username/.ssh

3. Add Public Key to authorized_keys

Paste the user's public key into:

nano /home/username/.ssh/authorized_keys

• Paste the public key here.

• Save and exit.

chmod 600 /home/username/.ssh/authorized_keys
chown username:username /home/username/.ssh/authorized_keys

4. Test Login as User

From the user's system:

ssh username@your_server_ip

5. (Optional) Disable Password Login for All Users

To enforce SSH key login globally, follow: Disable Password Login on VPS (Ubuntu/Debian)

Notes

• Make sure the .ssh directory and authorized_keys file have correct permissions.

• If the user can't login, check file ownership and SSH logs.

Related Articles

• Setup SSH Key Root Authentication

• Disable Password Login on VPS (Ubuntu/Debian)

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How to Add SSH Key for a New User on VPS (Ubuntu/Debian)

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Learn how to add an SSH key for a new user on Ubuntu/Debian VPS to allow secure key-based access. Step-by-step guide.

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