SSH Remote Connection with WSL

Table of Contents

Introduction

In this Threefold Guide, we show how easy it is to SSH into a 3node on Windows with Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

If you have any questions, feel free to write a post on the Threefold Forum.

SSH Key Generation

Make sure SSH is installed by entering following command at the command prompt:

sudo apt install openssh-client

The key generation process is identical to the process on a native Linux or Ubuntu installation. With SSH installed, run the SSH key generator by typing the following:

ssh-keygen -t rsa

Then choose the key name and passphrase or simply press return twice to accept the default values (key name = id_rsa and no passphrase). When the process has finished, the private key and the public key can be found in the ~/.ssh directory accessible from the Ubuntu terminal. You can also access the key from Windows file manager in the following folder:

\\wsl$\\Ubuntu\home\<username>\.ssh\

Your private key will be generated using the default name (id_rsa) or the filename you specified. The corresponding public key will be generated using the same filename but with a .pub extension added. If you open the public key in a text editor it should contain something similar to this:

ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQDNqqi1mHLnryb1FdbePrSZQdmXRZxGZbo0gTfglysq6KMNUNY2VhzmYN9JYW39yNtjhVxqfW6ewc+eHiL+IRRM1P5ecDAaL3V0ou6ecSurU+t9DR4114mzNJ5SqNxMgiJzbXdhR+j55GjfXdk0FyzxM3a5qpVcGZEXiAzGzhHytUV51+YGnuLGaZ37nebh3UlYC+KJev4MYIVww0tWmY+9GniRSQlgLLUQZ+FcBUjaqhwqVqsHe4F/woW1IHe7mfm63GXyBavVc+llrEzRbMO111MogZUcoWDI9w7UIm8ZOTnhJsk7jhJzG2GpSXZHmly/a/buFaaFnmfZ4MYPkgJD username@example.com

Copying the entire text you can specify your public SSH key while connecting your wallet before deploying a VM.

Connect to Remote Host with SSH

With the SSH key you should be able to SSH to your account on the remote system from the computer that has your private key using the following command:

ssh username@remote_IP_host

If the private key you're using does not have the default name, or is not stored in the default path (not ~/.ssh/id_rsa), you must explicitly invoke it! On the SSH command line add the -i flag and the path to your private key. For example, to invoke the private key my_key, stored in the ~/.ssh/keys directory, when connecting to your account on a remote host, enter:

ssh -i ~/.ssh/keys/my_key username@remote_IP_host

Enable Port 22 in Windows Firewall

The port 22 is used for Secure Shell (SSH) communication and allows remote administration access to the VM. Sometimes it needs and can be unblocked as follows:

  • open Windows Firewall Advance Settings
  • click on New Rule… under Inbound Rules to create a new firewall rule
  • under Rule Type select Port
  • under Protocol and Ports select TCP, Specific local Ports and enter 22
  • under Action select Allow the connection
  • under Profile make sure to only select Domain and Private

NB: do not select Public unless you absolutely require a direct connection form the outside world. This is not recommend especially for portable device (Laptop, Tablets) that connect to random Wi-fi hotspots.

  • under Name
    • Name: SSH Server
    • Description: SSH Server

Questions and Feedback

If you have any questions, let us know by writing a post on the Threefold Forum.

Last change: 2024-02-27