How to Enable or Disable root Login

For security, many administrators disable direct root login over SSH and use a regular user account with sudo privileges instead. This article explains how to manage root login.

Disable Root Login

  1. Log into your server via SSH.
  2. Open the SSH configuration file: 
    sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config
  3. Find the line PermitRootLogin yes and change it to: 
    PermitRootLogin no
  4. Save the file and restart SSH: 
    sudo systemctl restart sshd

Enable Root Login

To allow root login, set:

PermitRootLogin yes

Then restart the SSH service.

Important

Make sure you have a non-root user with sudo access before disabling root login. Otherwise, you may lock yourself out.

Need Help?

If you need assistance, contact us through the Circle City Servers Support Portal.

  • root login, security
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