Configure SSH for remote Build and Run on Embedded Linux

Configure Secure Shell (SSH) key-based access so Unity can connect to a remote Embedded Linux device and launch your Player with Build and Run.

Note: Have the device IP address or hostname and the SSH user name ready before you follow the steps below.

Prerequisites

Before you begin:

Install Unity with Embedded Linux Build Support.
Confirm you can reach the target device over the network.
Confirm the target device has an SSH server running.

Configure SSH access for the target device

To generate an SSH key and configure host mapping:

Generate a new SSH key pair with a unique file name:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/unity_embedded_linux_key -C "unity-embedded-linux-build"

Copy the public key to the target device:
```
ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/unity_embedded_linux_key.pub <remote-user>@<ip-address>
```
Note: If ssh-copy-id isn’t available, manually append the public key to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on the target device.

Add a host entry in your local ~/.ssh/config file:

Host MYMACHINE
HostName <ip-address>
User <remote-user>
StrictHostKeyChecking accept-new
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/unity_embedded_linux_key

Note: If your SSH service uses a non-default port, add a Port line to the same host entry:

Host MYMACHINE
   HostName <ip-address>
   User <remote-user>
   StrictHostKeyChecking accept-new
   IdentityFile ~/.ssh/unity_embedded_linux_key
   Port <port>

Verify the SSH mapping:
```
ssh MYMACHINE
```

After you complete these steps, SSH logs you in directly to the remote home directory. If login fails, refer to Troubleshoot SSH connection issues.

Configure remote device settings in the Build Profiles window

To configure Unity to use the SSH host mapping:

Open the Build Profiles window.
Select your Embedded Linux build profileA set of customizable configuration settings to use when creating a build for your target platform. More info
See in Glossary.
In Platform Settings > Remote Device, set Address to MYMACHINE.
Leave Username blank.
Set Install Path to a valid path on the remote device.
Select Build and Run.

Unity builds the Player, copies it to the target device, and launches it remotely. If the build or launch fails, refer to Troubleshoot SSH connection issues.

Troubleshoot SSH connection issues

Use the following list to troubleshoot SSH connection issues:

If authentication fails, check that the public key is in ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on the target device and that file permissions are valid.
If connection fails, verify the host alias, IP address, and optional Port value in ~/.ssh/config.
If deployment succeeds but launch fails, verify Install Path points to a writable and executable location on the target device.
If the Player doesn’t start, make sure all required export variables are set in Remote Device > Exports in the Embedded Linux Build Profiles window. For more information, refer to Embedded Linux build settings reference.

Additional resources

Embedded Linux build settings reference

Build for Embedded Linux from the command line