Setting Up Local SSH Access on Arch Linux from a Mac

I've been wanting to use my Arch Linux machine more frequently, but I don't want to keep the laptop open all the time. So, I configured SSH access so that I can use it from my primary laptop.

This guide shows how to configure an Arch Linux machine for SSH access from a Mac using key-based authentication. Both devices are on the same local network.

On the Arch Linux Machine

1. Install and Start the SSH Server

Install OpenSSH if it is not already installed:

sudo pacman -S openssh

Start and enable the SSH daemon:

sudo systemctl start sshd
sudo systemctl enable sshd

Check that the SSH service is running:

sudo systemctl status sshd

2. Configure SSH for Key-Based Authentication

Open the SSH configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Locate or add these lines:


PubkeyAuthentication yes
PasswordAuthentication no

Note: Disable password authentication only after you have confirmed that key-based access works.

Save the file and restart the SSH service:

sudo systemctl restart sshd

On Your Mac

3. Generate a Key Pair (If Needed)

Open Terminal on your Mac and run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"

Accept the default file location and optionally add a passphrase.

4. Copy Your Public Key to the Arch Linux Machine

If available, use ssh-copy-id to copy your key:

ssh-copy-id username@local-ip-of-arch-linux

Replace username with your Arch Linux username and local-ip-of-arch-linux with the machine's local IP address.

If ssh-copy-id is not installed, display your public key with:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Then manually paste the key into the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file on your Arch Linux machine.

5. Connect via SSH

Use the local IP address of your Arch Linux machine to connect:

ssh username@local-ip-of-arch-linux

Replace username and local-ip-of-arch-linux with your actual username and the machine's IP address.

To make sure you don't have to type the connection command all the time, you can create an alias like so:

alias archlinux="ssh username@local-ip-of-arch-linux"

Optional: Disabling Auto Suspend on Arch Linux

If you're like me and you want to use your Arch linux machine as a server or playground of some sort, you can disable the auto-suspend behavior when you close the Lid of your laptop running Arch. To do this:

Locate the logind.conf file by running:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/logind.conf

Un-comment the following lines:

HandleLidSwitchExternalPower=ignore
HandleLidSwitch=ignore

Make sure the above options are set to ignore and un-commented.

Next, restart the logind service:

sudo systemctl restart systemd-logind.service

Note: This might freeze your GUI and ask you to login again. If after logging in and you have a dark screen after a while, force shut the machine and turn it back on.

Summary

This guide walks you through setting up SSH access from your Mac to an Arch Linux machine on the same local network using key-based authentication. After verifying that the connection works, consider additional security measures if needed.