Remote-access Guide

how to allow ssh remote access mac os x

by Chelsie Sanford Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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How to Enable SSH & SFTP Server in Mac OS X with Remote Login

  • Open System Preferences from the  Apple menu, and click on the “Sharing” preference panel
  • Select the checkbox next to “Remote Login” to enable it, like the screenshot indicates

To find the SSH command to use to log in to your Mac from another computer, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Sharing , then select Remote Login. The SSH command is shown below the “Remote Login: On” indicator. Allowing remote login to your Mac can make it less secure. See Set up your Mac to be secure.

Full Answer

How to enable SSH on a Mac?

If remote login and SSH is currently enabled, the command and report will say “Remote Login: On” whereas if SSH is disabled and in the default macOS state, it will say “Remote Login: Off”. To quickly turn on SSH server and allow incoming ssh connections to the current Mac, use the -setremotelogin flag with systemsetup like so:

How do I enable remote desktop access on a Mac?

This enables Mac remote desktop access using a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). To set up Remote Login: Go to System Preferences > Sharing. Select Remote Login. Choose which users you want to have remote access or the ability to control your Mac.

How do I connect to a remote server via SSH?

The basic syntax of connecting to SSH is as follows: Replace user and IP-Address with the username and IP on the remote server. Hit return to execute the command. This will connect to the server via SSH with the username user and the default SSH port 22.

Is it possible to connect to localhost from a remote Mac?

Connecting to localhost isn’t too useful though, and this is called Remote Login for a reason, because it allows for secured connections to remote Macs through either the SSH command line interface, SFTP through any modern FTP/SFTP client, or with a direct file transfer by using the scp command from the terminal of other Macs or unix machines.

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How do I allow remote permissions on Mac?

On the client computer, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Sharing. Select Remote Management in the list at the left, then click Computer Settings. Select “Anyone may request permission to control screen,” then click OK.

Why is SSH not working on my Mac?

Open System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General, then login to ssh in the Terminal. It will give you a warning about 'ssh' with options of Put in trash or Cancel. Hit Cancel then in the System Preferences panel, you will see that ssh is blocked. Hit Open anyway, then it works.

How do I know if SSH is enabled on my Mac?

ProcedureOpen the Apple menu in the upper left corner of the screen, and select "System Preferences...".Under "Internet & Wireless", select "Sharing".In the left column of services, enable "Remote Login".Highlight the "Remote Login" service and enable access for the users you would like to have SSH access.More items...•

Does Mac have an SSH server?

Mac OS features a built-in SSH client called Terminal which allows you to quickly and easily connect to a server.

How do I connect to a remote server on a Mac?

In the Terminal app on your Mac, choose Shell > New Remote Connection. Select a protocol in the Service list. Select a shared server in the Server list. In the User field, enter a user name, then click Connect.

How do I open port 22 on Mac?

How to open an application's port in OS X firewallOpen System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall > Firewall Options.Click Add.Choose an application from the Applications folder and click Add.Ensure that the option next to the application is set to Allow incoming connections.Click OK.

How do I enable SSH in terminal?

Activate or deactivate the SSH serversudo rm -f /etc/ssh/sshd_not_to_be_run sudo systemctl enable ssh sudo systemctl start ssh.sudo mv /etc/init/ssh.conf.back /etc/init/ssh.conf sudo start ssh.sudo systemctl stop ssh sudo systemctl disable ssh.sudo stop ssh sudo mv /etc/init/ssh.conf /etc/init/ssh.conf.back.

Where is the SSH folder on Mac?

To see your . ssh folder in the Finder, press Command+Shift+G, then enter ~/. ssh . Also!

Why is SSH not working?

Troubleshooting steps: Verify that the host IP address is correct. Verify the firewall rules, check the inbound rules allowed by the security group. Verify the port number allowed for ssh. Verify that the service is running properly.

Do I need to install SSH on Mac?

SSH (Secure Shell) is an encrypted remote login protocol used to connect to remote machines over the network. This protocol encrypts communication from an end-to-end server and client machines. SSH protocol is preinstalled by default in all modern Macbooks but the daemon is disabled by default.

How do I start SSH agent on Mac?

Adding your SSH key to the ssh-agentStart the ssh-agent in the background. $ eval "$(ssh-agent -s)" > Agent pid 59566. ... If you're using macOS Sierra 10.12. ... Add your SSH private key to the ssh-agent and store your passphrase in the keychain. ... Add the SSH key to your account on GitHub Enterprise Cloud.

How do I find my SSH server?

How to Connect via SSHOpen the SSH terminal on your machine and run the following command: ssh your_username@host_ip_address. ... Type in your password and hit Enter. ... When you are connecting to a server for the very first time, it will ask you if you want to continue connecting.More items...•

Why is SSH not working?

Troubleshooting steps: Verify that the host IP address is correct. Verify the firewall rules, check the inbound rules allowed by the security group. Verify the port number allowed for ssh. Verify that the service is running properly.

Why is my SSH connection refused?

Typos or incorrect credentials are common reasons for a refused SSH connection. Make sure you are not mistyping the username or password. Then, check whether you are using the correct IP address of the server.

Why is SSH connection timed out?

This error message comes from the SSH client. The error indicates that the server didn't respond to the client and the client program gave up (timed out). The following are common causes for this error: The security group or network ACL doesn't allow access.

What is SSH add command?

The ssh-add command prompts the user for a private key password and adds it to the list maintained by ssh-agent . Once you add a password to ssh-agent , you will not be prompted for it when using SSH or scp to connect to hosts with your public key.

How to remotely log in to Mac?

Set up Remote Login on your Mac 1 On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Sharing, then select Remote Login.#N#Open the Remote Login pane of Sharing preferences for me 2 Select the Remote Login checkbox.#N#Selecting Remote Login also enables the secure FTP (sftp) service. 3 Specify which users can log in:#N#All users: Any of your computer’s users and anyone on your network can log in.#N#Only these users: Click the Add button , then choose who can log in remotely. Users & Groups includes all the users of your Mac. Network Users and Network Groups include people on your network.

Who can log in to my Mac?

Specify which users can log in: All users: Any of your computer’s users and anyone on your network can log in. Only these users: Click the Add button , then choose who can log in remotely. Users & Groups includes all the users of your Mac. Network Users and Network Groups include people on your network.

How to find your IP address on Mac?

If you don’t know the user name and IP address for your Mac, open the Remote Login pane of Sharing preferences. Your user name and IP address are shown below the “Remote Login: On” indicator.

Can you use Telnet on a Mac?

You can’t use Telnet to log in to your Mac.

How to set up remote login on Mac?

Set up Remote Login on your Mac. On your Mac, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click Sharing, then select Remote Login. Select the Remote Login tickbox. Selecting Remote Login also enables the secure FTP (sftp) service.

Who can log in to my Mac?

Specify which users can log in: All users: Any of your computer’s users and anyone on your network can log in. Only these users: Click the Add button , then choose who can log in remotely. Users & Groups includes all the users of your Mac. Network Users and Network Groups include people on your network.

How to find your IP address on Mac?

If you don’t know the username and IP address for your Mac, open the Remote Login pane of Sharing preferences. Your username and IP address are shown below the “Remote Login: On” indicator.

What Is SSH?

SSH — also known as Secure Socket Shell or Secure Shell — is a secure network protocol that allows users, especially system admins, to securely access remote devices. It encompasses a cryptographic network protocol and the suite of utilities that implement the protocol.

How SSH Works in Mac

Secure Shell leverages a client-server model to connect an SSH client application (where the session is displayed) with an SSH server (where the session runs). SSH has three layers:

Want to Disable SSH?

While you have now learned how to enable SSH, it’s equally important to know how to turn it off in case you wish to disable any remote login in future. The process of disabling SSH is similar to the process you followed to enable it.

Final Thoughts

As stated earlier, SSH is a cryptographic network protocol used to establish a secure, encrypted connection between two computers. In this article, you learned how to enable or disable SSH by running a command in the terminal app. Enabling SSH will allow you to remotely connect your macOS device, transfer files, and perform admin tasks securely.

How to enable SSH on Mac?

How to Enable SSH & SFTP Server in Mac OS X with Remote Login 1 Open System Preferences from the  Apple menu, and click on the “Sharing” preference panel 2 Select the checkbox next to “Remote Login” to enable it, like the screenshot indicates

How to verify SSH server is enabled?

Now that the SSH server has been enabled, you can verify they have enabled if you’d like. The easiest way to do this is to visit Terminal app and type either ‘ssh localhost’ or ‘sftp localhost’, which, if all is running as intended, should return something like this:

Can you accept RSA key?

You will be asked to accept an RSA key to your known hosts list, so type “yes” and then you will be asked for the users password

What does SSH say on remote login?

If remote login and SSH is currently enabled, the command and report will say “Remote Login: On” whereas if SSH is disabled and in the default macOS state, it will say “Remote Login: Off”.

Why sudo systemsetup -setremotelogin on?

sudo is necessary because the systemsetup command requires administrator privileges, just like when you enable Remote Login from the Sharing preferences on a Mac to enable the secure shell servers. There is no confirmation or message that Remote Login and SSH has been enabled, ...

Does Mac OS X have SSH?

All modern Macs running macOS or Mac OS X come with SSH pre-installed by default, but the SSH (Secure Shell) daemon is also disabled by default. Advanced Mac users may appreciate knowing the ability to enable SSH and disable SSH are both available entirely from the command line of Mac OS, allowing for a simple way to allow or disallow remote ...

Does sudo disable SSH?

Again, sudo is necessary to toggle SSH off and disable the ssh and sftp servers.

SSH (or Secure Shell) is a great service to enable on your Mac at home or work

SSH (or Secure Shell) is a great service to enable on your Mac at home or work. This useful tool not only enables the ability to remotely access the command line interface of your Mac, but also to remotely access your files through a secure FTP (SFTP) connection, which gives you the ability to transfer files at will.

1. Get a Static IP Address on your Mac

The first step to setting up these web services on your Mac is specifying a static IP address on the Mac you’ll be connecting to. Because we’ve covered this step multiple times, we’ll point you to an article we wrote earlier that clearly outlines the process of setting up a static IP address.

2. Enable SSH on your Mac

Next, we’ll enable SSH on the Mac you’re going to be accessing remotely. Navigate to System Preferences > Sharing.

3. Configure Port Mappings

Port mapping is another topic that we covered in the past. Follow the directions in the past article, while making the following changes when it comes to specifying the ports.

4. Access your Mac remotely via Command line

Now that you’ve enabled SSH and configured port mapping on your router, you will be able to access your Mac’s command line and files remotely.

What is SSH on Mac?

SSH or Secure SHell is an encrypted connection protocol which is used to connect to the command line interface of a remote machine. Mac OS features a built-in SSH client called Terminal which allows you to quickly and easily connect to a server.

What port does SSH connect to?

This will connect to the server via SSH with the username user and the default SSH port 22. The connection will look similar to the following:

How does SSH work?

The SSH process uses symmetric encryption, asymmetric encryption and hashing in order to securely connect the client to the remote server. The first time you connect to the server, you will be asked to verify the public key of the server.

What is the session key used for in SSH?

Both the client and the server negotiate a session key which is used to encrypt and decrypt the data sent during the SSH connection.

What is a single tenant server?

A single tenant, physical server allowing you full access to its resources.

What is remote desktop connection for Mac?

You can access specific files on your Mac remotely using shared folders — for example, Google Drive, shared Notes, etc. — or using FTP. Screen sharing can also be considered remote connection because you can view Mac’s screen when someone shares it with you through Zoom, Slack, or similar tools. However, you can’t control it.

How to share files on Mac?

To use this feature, activate it in the Sharing pane of System Preferences by checking File Sharing. If you only want to share specific folders, add them to the Shared Folders list . If you only want specific users to access the folder, add them to its Users list. Otherwise, everyone will be able to access it.

How to share a Mac with someone else?

To share your Mac with someone else, download a remote Virtual Network Computing (VNC) app like Jump Desktop. With full remote access and Mac remote control, the other person — or yourself connecting to another Mac — can have the same level of control as the person using that device.

What is the best way to share files on Mac?

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) The most technical but also the most robust way to share files from your Mac is to use FTP, which you could do either through Terminal or an FTP Client, the latter being much more user friendly. There are a few popular FTP clients one could choose from.

How to AirDrop on Mac?

In the Finder, choose Go and then AirDrop on both the sending and receiving Mac. As soon as you see the receiver's user icon, drag the desired file onto it to send.

Can you remotely manage a Mac?

Still, remotely managing their Mac sounds overly complicated to a lot of people. From how you connect to sharing files or screens to using your Apple device as a remote mouse, we want to demystify the process in the easy-to-follow guide below.

Can you control a Mac remotely?

In this guide, we’ll focus on the types of remote connection that let you control your Mac when it’s not physically there. Mainly, we’ll talk about remote control with mobile apps and remote desktop access — it’s when you can access folders, edit files, and basically complete any task on your remote Mac.

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