Enable Root SSH Login on AWS Lightsail Ubuntu

Automate root SSH key login—securely, in one step.

🚀 What Does This Script Do?

• Configures SSH key-based login for the root user on an Ubuntu Lightsail VPS.
• Automatically updates /etc/ssh/sshd_config to set PermitRootLogin yes.
• Copies the ubuntu user’s SSH key to the root user’s authorized keys.
• Secures file permissions for the root user’s SSH configuration.
• Restarts the SSH service to apply changes.

No manual configuration. No incomplete setups.

⚡️ How to Use

1. SSH into your Lightsail Ubuntu server as the ubuntu user:

   ssh -i /path/to/key.pem ubuntu@your-server-ip

2. Run the one-liner script:

   bash <(curl -s https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Monster-ZeroX/Enable-Root-SSH-Login-on-AWS/refs/heads/main/enable-root-ssh.sh)

3. Log in as root with your SSH key:

   ssh -i /path/to/key.pem root@your-server-ip

💡 Why Use This?

By default, AWS Lightsail and Ubuntu disable direct root SSH login for security reasons. However, enabling it is sometimes necessary for:

• Automation tasks.
• System recovery.
• Advanced server configurations.

This script ensures secure setup by using SSH keys only, avoiding less secure password-based authentication.

⚠️ Security Warning

• Never enable password-based root login.
• Use strong, unique SSH keys.
• Disable root login when no longer needed (PermitRootLogin no).

🛠 Script Details

• Updates or inserts PermitRootLogin yes in /etc/ssh/sshd_config.
• Copies the ubuntu user’s SSH keys to /root/.ssh/authorized_keys.
• Sets secure permissions for the root user’s SSH configuration.
• Restarts the SSH service to apply changes.

✨ Example Output

[*] Enabling root SSH login with SSH key...
[+] Root SSH key login is ENABLED. Try: ssh -i /path/to/key.pem root@<your-server-ip>

👨‍💻 Author

MonsterZeroX