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SSH prompts me for a password

Problem​

I tried connecting over SSH with a .pem key, but SSH asks me for a password.

Cause​

If the SSH command is malformed or the private key isn't specified correctly, SSH falls back to password authentication instead of key-based authentication.

Solution​

  1. Use the correct SSH command form:

    ssh -i elice-cloud-ondemand-xxxx.pem username@host

  2. Check that the .pem file is in your current directory:

    ls

    Or specify the full path:

    ssh -i /path/to/elice-cloud-ondemand-xxxx.pem username@host

  3. Make sure you're running the command from the directory that contains the private key.

Additional Notes​

If the .pem file isn't specified correctly, SSH automatically falls back to password login.