How to fix Warning: Identity file /path/to/key not accessible: No such file or directory. in SSH

SSHBEGINNERMEDIUMUpdated Jan 4, 2026· 622 views

This warning appears when SSH cannot find or access the identity file (private key) at the specified path. It typically indicates the key file doesn't exist, the path is incorrect, or the file has been moved.

Quick fix

Fixes Warning: Identity file /path/to/key not accessible: No such file or directory.

ls -la ~/.ssh/
  1. Verify the identity file exists
  2. Check the path in your SSH configuration
  3. Generate a new SSH key if needed
  4. Fix file permissions
ssh — error
ls -la ~/.ssh/
Warning: Identity file /path/to/key not accessible: No such file or directory.

What this error means

The SSH warning about an identity file not being accessible means that SSH attempted to load a private key from a specified file path but failed because the file either doesn't exist at that location or cannot be read. This is often just a warning—SSH will continue trying other configured identity files or authentication methods. However, if all identity files are inaccessible, SSH will fall back to password authentication or fail entirely if that's not available. The error message provides the exact path SSH was checking, which is useful for diagnosing the actual location of your key.

Typical symptoms

  • Warning message appears when connecting via SSH but connection still succeeds (via password or another key)
  • SSH connection fails immediately if the inaccessible file is the only configured identity file
  • Multiple 'identity file not accessible' warnings appear before successful authentication
  • SSH commands in scripts or CI/CD pipelines fail silently because no identity files are found
  • Error appears when using tools like scp, sftp, or git that depend on SSH authentication

Common causes

  1. Identity file was deleted or moved from the specified path
  2. Incorrect path specified in SSH config or command-line arguments
  3. Wrong user context—the key exists but is owned by a different user
  4. SSH configuration references a key that was never generated
  5. Path contains typos or uses incorrect syntax (especially on Windows vs Unix)
  6. After upgrade or system migration, the path to the key has changed
  7. Windows path syntax (backslashes or drive letters) used in WSL or Unix environment

How to fix "Warning: Identity file /path/to/key not accessible: No such file or directory."

1Verify the identity file exists

Check if the key file exists at the path SSH is looking for. List your SSH keys:

bash
ls -la ~/.ssh/

This shows all files in the .ssh directory. Look for standard SSH key names like:
- id_rsa / id_rsa.pub (RSA keys)
- id_ed25519 / id_ed25519.pub (ED25519 keys)
- id_dsa / id_dsa.pub (older DSA keys)
- Custom names if you created keys with custom filenames

If the file doesn't exist, you'll need to generate a new key (see step 3).

2Check the path in your SSH configuration

If the file does exist, verify the path is correct in your SSH config:

bash
cat ~/.ssh/config

Look for IdentityFile entries. The path should be:
- Absolute path: ~/.ssh/id_rsa or /home/username/.ssh/id_rsa
- Tilde expansion: ~ expands to your home directory

If you're using SSH in a script or tool, check the path specification there too. On Windows with WSL, ensure you use Unix-style paths like /mnt/c/Users/YourName/.ssh/id_rsa instead of Windows paths.

3Generate a new SSH key if needed

If the identity file doesn't exist and you don't have an SSH key yet, generate one:

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

Or for RSA keys (if your server doesn't support ED25519):

bash
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com"

Press Enter when asked for file location to save in the default ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 or ~/.ssh/id_rsa. Press Enter again for an empty passphrase, or enter a passphrase for security. The key will be created in the standard location that SSH expects.

4Fix file permissions

SSH is strict about file permissions for security. Set the correct permissions:

bash
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa
chmod 644 ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Permissions must be:
- Directory ~/.ssh: 700 (rwx------)
- Private key: 600 (rw-------)
- Public key: 644 (rw-r--r--)

SSH will refuse to use a private key if it's readable by other users (permissions must not be 644 or 777).

5Specify the identity file explicitly in commands

If you have multiple SSH keys or a custom filename, explicitly specify which key to use:

bash
ssh -i ~/.ssh/custom_key_name user@host

Or for other tools:

bash
scp -i ~/.ssh/custom_key file user@host:/path

For Git operations, configure it per repository or globally:

bash
git config core.sshCommand "ssh -i ~/.ssh/custom_key"
6Configure SSH per-host identity files

For better organization, set up identity files in your SSH config file ~/.ssh/config:

text
Host myserver
    HostName server.example.com
    User username
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/backup_key

Host github.com
    User git
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/github_key

SSH will try each IdentityFile in order until one succeeds. Make sure the paths are correct and files exist.

7Copy your public key to the server

Once you have a working identity file, copy the public key to the remote server:

bash
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 user@host

Or manually:

bash
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | ssh user@host "mkdir -p ~/.ssh && cat >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys"

Then verify you can connect without a warning:

bash
ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 user@host

Advanced notes

Windows WSL Issues: If you're using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), SSH may not find keys on the Windows filesystem. Use Unix-style paths starting with /mnt/c/ instead of C:\. Better yet, generate keys directly in WSL at ~/.ssh/ within the Linux filesystem.

Multiple Identity Files: SSH tries multiple identity files in order. If one is inaccessible, it warns about it but continues to the next. This is why you might see the warning but still connect via password or another key. To suppress harmless warnings, explicitly specify only the keys you want in your SSH config.

File Ownership: The identity file must be owned by you (the user running SSH). If the file is owned by root or another user, SSH won't use it. Check with ls -l ~/.ssh/id_rsa and change ownership if needed: chown $USER:$USER ~/.ssh/id_rsa.

Symlinks: If your identity file is a symlink, ensure the target file exists and has correct permissions. SSH follows symlinks, so the actual file (not just the link) must be accessible.

SSH Agent: For repeated connections, add your key to the SSH agent to avoid entering a passphrase each time: ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519. The agent keeps the key in memory for the session.

Cloud Environments (AWS, GCP, Azure): Cloud VMs often have default key paths. When creating instances, ensure you download the private key file and store it with proper permissions. Tools like Terraform, Ansible, or cloud CLIs will expect the key at a specific path.

Frequently asked questions

What does "Warning: Identity file /path/to/key not accessible: No such file or di" mean?
The SSH warning about an identity file not being accessible means that SSH attempted to load a private key from a specified file path but failed because the file either doesn't exist at that location or cannot be read. This is often just a warning—SSH will continue trying other configured identity files or authentication methods. However, if all identity files are inaccessible, SSH will fall back to password authentication or fail entirely if that's not available.
How do I fix "Warning: Identity file /path/to/key not accessible: No such file or di"?
This warning appears when SSH cannot find or access the identity file (private key) at the specified path. It typically indicates the key file doesn't exist, the path is incorrect, or the file has been moved.
What causes "Warning: Identity file /path/to/key not accessible: No such file or di"?
Identity file was deleted or moved from the specified path Incorrect path specified in SSH config or command-line arguments Wrong user context—the key exists but is owned by a different user
Is the "Warning: Identity file /path/to/key not accessible: No such file or di" error serious?
It is a medium-severity error — more of a blocker than a risk. The steps above resolve it.

Official resources & further reading