How do I enable SSH access to the ESX Server HOST?

[crazychris]

At this I am unable to Access the Server via SSH. I get prompted for root credentials but not granted access. The password I use is the same as the root password for console access , which does work at the console?

Here is the error..

Permission denied (publickey,password,keyboard-interactive).

Selinux?

[Rob_Bohmann1]

you need to use a remote management tool (DRAC, ILO, etc) or walk up to the console and enable the root account to be able to use ssh if you want the root account to be able to do this. If you have a non-root account, you should be able to ssh in and then switch to root.

To enable root access using ssh cd into etc/ssh and edit the sshd_config file and comment out PermitRootLogon = no or change it to yes.

Restart ssh service sshd restart then you can walk back to your desk

[amit40]

/etc/ssh/

This directory contains all the SSH daemon configuration files, public and public keys.

Please perform the above task ,it should work

PermitRootLogon = yes

[davidbarclay]

This might help if you aren't sure. Just run this from the console and you will have remote root SSH access.

mv /etc/ssh/sshd_config /etc/ssh/sshd_config.orig

cat /etc/ssh/sshd_config.orig | sed 's/PermitRootLogin no/PermitRootLogin yes/g' > /etc/ssh/sshd_config

service sshd restart

Dave

[ICT-Freak]

Excellent post david. If you want to connect form esx host x to esx host y, you have to open the ssh client within the esx firewall.

good luck!

[Jeff_Shaw]

Use Veeam RootAccess. This is a free tool that enables you to automatically login to ESX. The tool is really helpful.

Info: http://www.vmweekly.com/ask_an_expert/i_am_unable_to_login_to_esx_server_with_root_or_a_root_like_id...

Free download: http://www.veeam.com/root_access/

Cheers,

Jeff

[bister]

Another way is to create a user using the VIC and granting this user login rights to the shell (all done with the VIC). Then login to ESX with this user and "su -" to root using the root-password.

[timw18]

To backup Dave's post above

For increased security, SSH is disabled by default for the root account on ESX Server 3. That is, the actual sshd service does not allow root logins. Non-root users are able to log in with ssh. This is another layer of protection in addition to the host firewall.

The sshd service is configured in /etc/ssh/sshd_config. Using a directly-attached keyboard and monitor, edit/nano this file and change the line:

PermitRootLogin no

to read:

PermitRootLogin yes

Restart the SSH service with the following command:

\[root@esx3 root]# service sshd restart

[zyx100]

You mentioned the RootAccess utility created in our company Veeam Software. Actually RootAccess is also included in Veeam Configurator among its 5 experts. Soon we will release new version of it: Veeam Configurator 1.5. The RootAccess expert included in Veeam Configurator is a bit superior (as a matter of functionality) than the separate Root Access utility. You can download trial version of the Veeam Configurator here (for now version 1.0 but soon it will be version 1.5):

[humanxbox]

Hi,

another easy way is to create with the useradd command (at server console) just a user with password. I just created a user with password and could easy connect to the esxserver with winscp.

good luck

[udaymailforu]

Hi Folks,

         i need to enable SSH in ESXi5.0,

  /etc/sshd_config file is different than other lower versions.

I have changed the atttribute "PasswordAuthentication" to yes to get root access,

but i am restarting all servcies with this command.

# services.sh restart

this solution i don't want.

I need to use the sshd either without restarting the service or only that service can i restart in ESXi5.0

Ex like for ESX4.0:  # service sshd restart.