SSH Without Passwords | Complete Guide for Linux, Windows, macOS | VS Code Remote for development

Stop typing your SSH password every single time! This is the ultimate 2025 guide to setting up passwordless SSH login using SSH keys on Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu. I'll walk you through the entire process step-by-step, from generating your SSH key pair to configuring your remote Ubuntu 24.04 server.

The best part? We'll also configure the VS Code Remote - SSH extension to use these keys, unlocking a seamless, password-free remote development workflow directly from Visual Studio Code. This tutorial is perfect for developers, system administrators, and anyone looking to boost their productivity and security when working with remote servers.

Learn how to set up SSH key authentication, use ssh-keygen, ssh-copy-id, and manually add keys to the authorized_keys file. By the end of this video, you will be able to SSH into your remote machines from your terminal and VS Code without ever being prompted for a password again!

COMMANDS FOR COPY & PASTE:

-- STEP 1: GENERATE YOUR SSH KEY PAIR --
(Run on your personal Windows, Mac, or Ubuntu machine)

ssh-keygen

-- STEP 2: COPY YOUR PUBLIC KEY TO THE SERVER --

METHOD A: FROM UBUNTU OR MAC (EASY METHOD)
(Replace username and remote_host_ip with your details)

ssh-copy-id username@remote_host_ip

METHOD B: FROM WINDOWS (MANUAL METHOD)

First, on your Windows PC, view and copy your public key.
(Use the second command if your key file is named id_ed25519.pub)

type $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_rsa.pub
type $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub

Next, log into your remote Ubuntu server with your password and run these commands.

mkdir -p ~/.ssh
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
touch ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
echo "PASTE_YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY_STRING_HERE" ＞＞ ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
(please type this command manually as the symbol ＞ is used because of youtube description restrictions)

-- STEP 3: CONFIGURE VS CODE REMOTE - SSH --
(Open the SSH config file in VS Code and add this)

Host your-server-nickname
HostName your_server_ip_or_hostname
User your_remote_username
IdentityFile path/to/your/private/key

Example IdentityFile path for Ubuntu/Mac: ~/.ssh/id_rsa
Example IdentityFile path for Windows: C:\Users\YourUsername.ssh\id_rsa


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