CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-004) — Question 321

A user creates a key pair to configure RSA authentication on a Linux server.
Which of the following should the user do NEXT?

Answer options

• A. Copy the id_rsa.pub file contents to the server
• B. Copy the id_rsa file contents to the server
• C. Use ssh-add to install the id_rsa.pub on the client
• D. Copy the known_hosts file contents to the client
• E. Copy the known_hosts file contents to the server

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct step is to copy the id_rsa.pub file contents to the server, as this file contains the public key needed for RSA authentication. Copying the id_rsa file (which is private) or the known_hosts file would not enable authentication correctly, and using ssh-add is irrelevant for this step since it relates to managing keys on the client side.