Change or disable a UNIX user's password

Need to rotate a UNIX user's password, or turn off password login altogether so only SSH keys work?

This article walks you through both. They're the same dialog in Core.

Which one you're here for

Both live in the same place: the UNIX user's 'SFTP & SSH' tab, 'Password Authentication' panel, 'Update password' button.

• Change the password — four clicks.
• Disable password login — attach an SSH key first, or you lock yourself out.

Where to find it

Directly

1. Navigate to 'Advanced' > 'UNIX Users'.
2. Select the UNIX user.
3. In the left sidebar, click 'SFTP & SSH'.

Via the project

1. Navigate to 'Projects'.
2. Select the project.
3. Navigate to 'Advanced'.
4. Under the 'UNIX User' tile, click 'Manage'.
5. In the left sidebar, click 'SFTP & SSH'.

Change the password

1. Click 'Update password' on the 'Password Authentication' panel.
2. Leave 'Enable Password Authentication' on.
3. In 'New Password', type the new password or click 'Generate' for a random 24-character one.
4. Click 'Save'.

Minimum length: 24 characters.

Disable password authentication in full

1. Click 'Update password' on the 'Password Authentication' panel.
2. Turn 'Enable Password Authentication' off. The 'New Password' field disappears.
3. Click 'Save'.

The panel then shows 'Disabled'. From that moment:

• SSH and SFTP refuse password attempts for this user.
• Existing SSH keys keep working.

To re-enable later, set a new password through the same dialog. The previous password is not recoverable.

What the password does and doesn't cover

• Covers SSH and SFTP logins.
• SSH keys are separate. Adding a key does not disable the password, and changing the password does not affect existing keys.
• FTP is unrelated. Each FTP user is its own object with its own password, set under the UNIX user's 'FTP' tab. Disabling password authentication on the UNIX user has no effect on FTP.