I recently upgraded my Ubuntu system, and now I’m facing some frustrating issues with SSH that I could really use some help with. It’s weird because everything was working just fine before the upgrade. Now, when I try to SSH into my server, I keep getting this “Connection refused” error. It worked great before, but now I feel like I’m talking to a brick wall.
I tried a couple of things to troubleshoot it—like checking if the SSH service is running with `systemctl status sshd`. It shows that it’s active, but I can’t help but feel I might be missing something obvious. I even looked at the firewall settings and made sure that port 22 is open, but there’s still no luck. I also tried restarting the SSH service just to see if that would do anything, but nope, still having the same issue.
The upgrade itself was pretty smooth, but maybe there were some changes to the configuration files? I checked the `sshd_config` file in `/etc/ssh/`, and I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but I’m not entirely sure what to look for. Should I maybe check the logs in `/var/log/auth.log`? I’ve heard logs can provide valuable insights, but I’m a bit lost on what to look for there as well.
Another thing I’m considering is whether any old SSH keys could be causing a problem—it’s been a while since I’ve set this up. Also, does anyone have suggestions on whether I need to reinstall SSH altogether? I’ve never had to mess with that before, but it’s starting to feel like that might be my next step.
If anyone has gone through a similar experience or has any tips on what I should check next, I’d be super grateful for your advice. Honestly, I’m really hoping to get this sorted out because I rely on SSH for work, and it’s making me a little nuts right now. Any insights or suggestions would be hugely appreciated!
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SSH Connection Refused Issues After Upgrade
So, like, it sounds like you’re having a pretty rough time with SSH after your upgrade. That whole “Connection refused” thing can be super frustrating, especially when it was all chill before!
Things to Check
systemctl status sshd
and it’s active. Just double-check that the service is actually listening on the correct port. You can do this by running:Just make sure you’re allowing SSH connections.
sshd_config
file. Sometimes, things likePermitRootLogin
orPasswordAuthentication
settings can affect the connection. Look for any lines that might be commented out (with #) or set to no that should be yes./var/log/auth.log
could provide some clues. Look for any errors around the time you tried to connect. It might say something about denied access or config issues.~/.ssh/authorized_keys
on the server. Also, check your local~/.ssh/config
for any weird settings.Final Thoughts
Hopefully, one of these suggestions will help you out! It’s totally normal to feel a bit lost after an upgrade. Just take it step by step, and you’ll figure it out. Good luck, and may your SSH connections be restored soon!
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If you’re experiencing a “Connection refused” error after upgrading your Ubuntu system, there are several potential issues to examine. First, since you’ve already confirmed that the SSH service appears to be active with `systemctl status sshd`, consider other points of failure. Check the listening ports using `netstat -tuln | grep :22` to verify that SSH is actively listening on port 22. If nothing shows up, there may be an issue causing SSH to bind to the port. Additionally, verify that the firewall isn’t unexpectedly blocking your connection, including any active UFW or iptables rules. Reviewing the `/etc/ssh/sshd_config` file could also be informative; ensure that the `ListenAddress` is correctly set to allow connections. Remember that changes in the configuration may not take effect until the SSH service is restarted using `sudo systemctl restart sshd`. If the error persists, you might want to inspect your logs for more detailed error messages.
Analyzing `/var/log/auth.log` can provide insight into authentication issues and connection attempts. Look specifically for any error messages or refused connections in that log file. Regarding SSH keys, ensure that your key is properly linked; regenerating them might help if they’ve become corrupted or mismatched. Reinstalling SSH can also be a fail-safe step, but it should be a last resort after exhausting other troubleshooting methods. Use `sudo apt-get –reinstall install openssh-server` to reinstall SSH. Lastly, consider testing SSH connections from different clients or even another network to rule out local issues. Through methodical checking and logging observations, you should be able to diagnose or narrow down the problem causing your SSH connection issues.