MobaXterm: SSH Browser Asks Unknown Password

Introduction

MobaXterm is a free and open-source terminal emulator and SSH client for Windows. It provides an X11 server inside the terminal application, enabling graphical applications to run remotely. In this article, we will discuss what to do when MobaXterm's SSH Browser asks for an unknown password while connecting to an SSH server.

Connecting to an SSH Server with MobaXterm

To connect to an SSH server using MobaXterm, follow these steps:

1. Open MobaXterm and click on the "SSH" tab in the top bar.
2. Enter the remote server's IP address or domain name in the "Host" field.
3. Enter your SSH username in the "Username" field.
4. Click on the "Open" button to initiate the connection.

If you have set up SSH keys and don't need to enter a password, you should be connected to the server without any issues.

SSH Browser Asks Unknown Password

If MobaXterm's SSH Browser asks for an unknown password, it means that the SSH server does not have a record of the password associated with the provided username. There are several reasons why this might happen:

1. Incorrect username or password: Double-check that you have entered the correct username and password for the SSH server.
2. Password authentication disabled: The SSH server might be configured to only allow key-based authentication. In this case, you will need to generate an SSH key pair and configure the SSH client to use the private key.
3. Network issues: If the connection to the SSH server is unstable or slow, the SSH Browser might time out while waiting for a response. Try increasing the timeout value or checking your network connection.

Troubleshooting

Generate SSH Key Pair

To generate an SSH key pair, follow these steps:

1. Open MobaXterm and click on the "Start" menu, then select "MobaXterm (Admin)" or right-click on the MobaXterm icon and select "Run as administrator".
2. Click on the "Configure" tab in the top bar, then select "SSH Keys" from the left-hand menu.
3. Click on the "Generate RSA key pair" button and follow the prompts to create a new key pair.

Once the key pair has been generated, you will need to copy the public key to the SSH server and add it to your account.

Copy SSH Key to Server

To copy the public key to the SSH server, follow these steps:

1. Open a text editor, such as Notepad or Sublime Text, and open the private key file (usually located in the "C:\Users\\.ssh\id_rsa.private" directory).
2. Copy the entire contents of the private key file, including the "---BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY---" and "---END RSA PRIVATE KEY---" lines.
3. Open a terminal or command prompt window and navigate to the "C:\Users\\.ssh" directory.
4. Create a new file called "authorized_keys" (if it doesn't already exist) using a text editor or the "echo" command:

echo "ssh-rsa " > authorized_keys

Replace "" with the copied contents of the private key.

Configure SSH Client to Use Private Key

To configure MobaXterm to use the private key, follow these steps:

1. Open the MobaXterm configuration file by clicking on the "Start" menu, then select "MobaXterm (Admin)" or right-click on the MobaXterm icon and select "Run as administrator".
2. Click on the "Configure" tab in the top bar, then select "SSH" from the left-hand menu.
3. Under the "Key file" section, click on the "Browse" button and select the private key file (usually located in the "C:\Users\\.ssh\id_rsa" directory).