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SSH Configuration ​

This guide will cover the setup of SSH for hosting a Lemmy instance.

Note: This guide is not exhaustive and should not be considered a complete guide to securing a server. It is recommended to consult with a security professional when setting up a server and to follow best practices for server security.

Setting up SSH ​

Requirements ​

  • A server running a debian based linux system.
  • Superuser privileges on the server. (Note: You can use the sudo command to run commands as a superuser.)
  • Some basic linux knowledge.
  • A text editor. (Note: In this guide, we will use nano as the text editor. You can use any text editor of your choice.)

Installing OpenSSH ​

OpenSSH is included in most linux distributions and can be installed using the package manager of your linux distribution. To install OpenSSH on a debian based linux system, you can run the following command:

bash
sudo apt-get install openssh-server

Configuring OpenSSH ​

The configuration file for OpenSSH is located at /etc/ssh/sshd_config. This file contains the configuration settings for the OpenSSH server. You can edit this file using a text editor to configure the OpenSSH server.

bash
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Here are some common configuration settings that you can change in the sshd_config file:

  • Port: The port on which the OpenSSH server listens for incoming connections. By default, OpenSSH listens on port 22. You can change this port to a different port to improve security. It is recommended to use a port number above 1024. (Note: Make sure to update the firewall rules to allow traffic on the new port and revoke the old firewall rule for port 22.)

  • PermitRootLogin: This setting controls whether the root user is allowed to log in to the server using SSH. It is recommended to disable root login to improve security.

  • PasswordAuthentication: This setting controls whether password authentication is allowed for SSH connections. It is recommended to disable password authentication and use key-based authentication for SSH connections. (Note: This guide will not cover key-based authentication, please consult the official OpenSSH documentation for more information. A guide will be provided in the future.)

  • AllowUsers: This setting controls which users are allowed to connect to the server using SSH. You can specify a list of users who are allowed to connect to the server.

After making changes to the sshd_config file, you will need to restart the OpenSSH server to apply the changes. You can restart the OpenSSH server using the following command:

bash
sudo systemctl restart sshd

Setting up a Firewall ​

Pleasae refer to the Firewall guide for setting up a firewall for your Lemmy instance.

Hardening SSH ​

Please refer to the SSH Hardening guide for hardening SSH for your Lemmy instance.

Conclusion ​

This guide has covered the setup and hardening of SSH for hosting a Lemmy instance. It has covered the installation and configuration of OpenSSH on a debian based linux system. It is recommended to consult with a security professional when setting up a server and to follow best practices for server security.

For more information on OpenSSH, you can check out the OpenSSH documentation.