ssh illegal option while trying to connect to remote server

Ayan Mitra

2/11/24, 6:48 AM

trying to ssh from my macbook pro, to a remote server,

ssh ayan@ServerIPAddress

gives the following error

ssh: illegal option -- ?
usage: ssh [-46AaCfGgKkMNnqsTtVvXxYy] [-B bind_interface]
           [-b bind_address] [-c cipher_spec] [-D [bind_address:]port]
           [-E log_file] [-e escape_char] [-F configfile] [-I pkcs11]
           [-i identity_file] [-J [user@]host[:port]] [-L address]
           [-l login_name] [-m mac_spec] [-O ctl_cmd] [-o option] [-p port]
           [-Q query_option] [-R address] [-S ctl_path] [-W host:port]
           [-w local_tun[:remote_tun]] destination [command [argument ...]]

I am unable to to locate the source of this error. I deleted the whole ~/.ssh/* directory and infact any argument after ssh is throwing error. If I tried ssh [email protected] i.e. without any arguments starting with - then it asks for password, but after it doesnot connect and keeps asking for the password repetatively.

467

0 + 4

remote-access

linux

ssh

terminal

ssh-keys

larsks

2/11/24, 4:10 PM

Are you **sure** that contains the login password? Normally, the help output from ssh starts with `[-46AaCfGgKkMNnqsTtVvXxYy]`, which is the list of single-letter options supported by the `ssh` command. Otherwise, that command line looks fine, unless you have an alias for the `ssh` command. Does the command `alias ssh` yield any output?

Ayan Mitra

2/11/24, 6:58 PM

@larsks Wow, yeah you are right, it is not my password. Except that my login password also starts with 46 and I carelessly overlooked it. Now about the problem, can you post as a separate answer ? I want to look into your suggestion more in depth. thanks

larsks

2/12/24, 12:10 AM

I don't think that "do you have an alias for the `ssh` command?" really counts as an answer. It would be great if you could update your question with answers to my previous comment. If `alias ssh` doesn't show anything, then maybe also throw in the output of `type -a ssh`.

Ayan Mitra

2/16/24, 5:51 AM

`type -a ssh` -> `ssh is /usr/bin/ssh` and `alias ssh` returns empty

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: ssh illegal option while trying to connect to remote server

Post an answer

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