RHCSA (24): Lab Setup Part 2: Mastering SSH to Access Your Linode

Executive Summary

Episode 24 completes our two-part lab setup by establishing the most critical link: the secure connection to our new cloud server. This hands-on session is dedicated to mastering SSH (Secure Shell), the industry-standard tool for remote Linux administration and a core RHCSA objective. We begin with the fundamentals, demonstrating how to establish a basic connection using the root password we created in the previous episode. This initial access is crucial for performing the first-time setup.

Next, the episode elevates your skills to the professional standard by walking through the entire process of setting up SSH key-based authentication. You will learn how to generate a secure key pair on your local machine using ssh-keygen and then correctly deploy the public key to the server using the ssh-copy-id command. This second method provides a more secure and convenient passwordless login, which is the preferred practice in real-world environments. By the end of this session, our lab environment is 100% complete and fully accessible, paving the way for the Season 1 finale and the intensive hands-on labs of Season 2. 🔐

Keywords: RHCSA, RHEL 10, Rocky Linux 9, Linode, Lab Setup, SSH, Secure Shell, ssh-keygen, ssh-copy-id, EX200, Remote Access, System Administration, Public Key Authentication, IT Training, Linux Podcast

```
+-- Episode 24 Abbreviations
|
|-- EX200: Red Hat Certified System Administrator Exam Code
|-- IP: Internet Protocol
|-- PC: Personal Computer
|-- RHEL: Red Hat Enterprise Linux
|-- RHCSA: Red Hat Certified System Administrator
\-- SSH: Secure Shell
```

```
+-- RHCSA (24): Lab Setup Part 2: Mastering SSH to Access Your Linode
|
|-- 1. Bridging the Gap: From Server to Shell
|   |-- 1.1 Recap of E23: Our Rocky 9 Linode is live and has an IP address
|   \-- 1.2 Today's Mission: Securely log in and get our first command prompt
|
|-- 2. What is SSH? (The Keys to the Kingdom)
|   |-- 2.1 SSH = Secure Shell: The encrypted tunnel to your server
|   |-- 2.2 Why it's the industry standard for remote administration
|   \-- 2.3 The Client/Server Model (Your PC -> Linode)
|
|-- 3. Method 1: Password Authentication (The Basic Entry)
|   |-- 3.1 The Command: `ssh root@[Your_Linode_IP]`
|   |-- 3.2 The First Connection: Accepting the server's host key
|   \-- 3.3 The Login: Using the root password you created in E23
|
|-- 4. Method 2: SSH Key Authentication (The Professional Standard)
|   |-- 4.1 The Concept: Public Key (the lock) & Private Key (the key)
|   |-- 4.2 Step 1 (Local): Generating your key pair with `ssh-keygen`
|   |-- 4.3 Step 2 (Transfer): Copying your public key to the server with `ssh-copy-id`
|   \-- 4.4 The Result: Secure, passwordless login
|
\-- 5. Mission Accomplished & Season Finale Preview
    |-- 5.1 Success! We have full, secure command-line access to our lab
    \-- 5.2 The Bridge to E25: The lab is built. It's time to wrap Season 1 and preview the hands-on action of Season 2.
```