Bird
0
0

You run ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -f ~/.ssh/id_rsa but get an error: Permission denied. What is the most likely cause?

medium📝 Debug Q6 of 15
Linux CLI - SSH and Remote Access
You run ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -f ~/.ssh/id_rsa but get an error: Permission denied. What is the most likely cause?
AYou must specify a passphrase with -N option
BYou do not have write permission to the ~/.ssh directory
CThe RSA algorithm is not supported on your system
DThe ssh-keygen command is not installed
Step-by-Step Solution
Solution:

  1. Step 1: Understand permission error context

    Permission denied usually means the user cannot write to the target directory or file.

  2. Step 2: Evaluate other options

    ssh-keygen is installed if command runs, RSA is widely supported, and passphrase is optional.

  3. Final Answer:

    You do not have write permission to the ~/.ssh directory -> Option B

  4. Quick Check:

    Permission denied = no write access [OK]
Quick Trick: Check directory write permissions if permission denied [OK]
Common Mistakes:
  • Assuming ssh-keygen is missing
  • Thinking RSA is unsupported
  • Believing passphrase is mandatory

Want More Practice?

15+ quiz questions · All difficulty levels · Free

Free Signup - Practice All Questions
More Linux CLI Quizzes
Archiving and Compression - Why compression saves storage and bandwidth - Quiz 5medium Cron and Scheduling - Why cron automates recurring tasks - Quiz 8hard Cron and Scheduling - systemd timers - Quiz 14medium Environment and Configuration - History command and search - Quiz 12easy Package Management - Why package managers install software - Quiz 10hard Package Management - snap and flatpak - Quiz 10hard Package Management - Building from source basics - Quiz 1easy SSH and Remote Access - Key-based authentication - Quiz 5medium SSH and Remote Access - SSH connection basics - Quiz 5medium System Administration - Why sysadmin skills manage production servers - Quiz 9hard