How To Install SSH Server on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install SSH Server on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. For those of you who didn’t know, The Secure Shell (SSH) protocol is a cryptographic network protocol that provides a secure and encrypted communication channel between two devices over an insecure network, such as the Internet. It was designed to replace the insecure Telnet and rlogin protocols, which transmitted data in plain text, making them vulnerable to eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks.

SSH uses strong encryption algorithms to protect the confidentiality and integrity of data transmitted between the client and server. It also provides authentication mechanisms to verify the identities of both parties, preventing unauthorized access. This combination of encryption and authentication makes SSH an essential tool for secure remote access, file transfers, and remote command execution.

One of the primary benefits of using SSH is its ability to provide a secure and encrypted communication channel, protecting sensitive data from being intercepted or tampered with. Additionally, SSH offers a range of features, including port forwarding, X11 forwarding, and secure file transfers, making it a versatile tool for remote system administration and development.

This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the SSH Server on Ubuntu 22.04 (Jammy Jellyfish). You can follow the same instructions for Ubuntu 18.04, 16.04, and any other Debian-based distribution like Linux Mint.

Prerequisites

• A server running one of the following operating systems: Ubuntu 22.04, 20.04, 18.04, and any other Debian-based distribution like Linux Mint.
• It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
• SSH access to the server (or just open Terminal if you’re on a desktop).
• An active internet connection. You’ll need an internet connection to download the necessary packages and dependencies for OpenSSH.
• A non-root sudo user or access to the root user. We recommend acting as a non-root sudo user, however, as you can harm your system if you’re not careful when acting as the root.

Install SSH Server on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish

Step 1. Before installing the SSH server on your Ubuntu 22.04 system, it’s essential to ensure that your system is up-to-date with the latest security patches and software updates. Keeping your system updated not only enhances security but also ensures compatibility and stability.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

This ensures that all software on your system is up-to-date, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities.

Step 2. Installing SSH Server on Ubuntu 22.04.

OpenSSH is a suite of secure networking utilities based on the SSH protocol. To install the OpenSSH server, use the following command:

sudo apt install openssh-server

Once the installation is complete, verify the status of the SSH service by running the following command:

sudo systemctl enable ssh
sudo systemctl start ssh
sudo systemctl status ssh

Step 3. Configure Firewall.

Configuring the firewall is essential to allow SSH traffic. Ubuntu uses UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) by default. To allow SSH through the firewall, execute the following commands:

sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw reload

Step 4. Basic SSH Configuration.

The SSH configuration file is located at /etc/ssh/sshd_config. Before making any changes, create a backup of the original configuration file:

sudo cp /etc/ssh/sshd_config /etc/ssh/sshd_config.bak

Open the configuration file using a text editor like nano:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

After making the necessary changes, save and close the file.

Step 5. Accessing Ubuntu 22.04 via SSH.

With SSH now installed and enabled, you can connect to a remote system, another remote PC, or a server. You can connect to your system via SSH using Putty from Windows or built-in SSH clients from Linux or macOS:

ssh user@your-server-ip-address

For example, if your user is root and server-IP-address is 192.168.77.22, the command will be:

ssh root@192.168.77.22

Congratulations! You have successfully installed the SSH Server. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the SSH Server on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official OpenSSH website.