# SSH not enabled and ctrl+alt+f1 not working

**URL:** <https://forums.screenly.io/t/ssh-not-enabled-and-ctrl-alt-f1-not-working/960>\
**Category:** Anthias\
**Created:** [January 24, 2023, 11:58am UTC](https://forums.screenly.io/t/ssh-not-enabled-and-ctrl-alt-f1-not-working/960 "2023-01-24T11:58:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 6

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**Author:** ![vpetersson-bot](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forums.screenly.io/vpetersson-bot/32/803_2.png) [@vpetersson-bot](https://forums.screenly.io/u/vpetersson-bot)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2026, 10:14am UTC](https://forums.screenly.io/t/ssh-not-enabled-and-ctrl-alt-f1-not-working/960/6 "2026-10-25T10:14:25Z")

</div>

Bringing this one up to date, because the instructions above are from 2023 and this thread still comes up when people search for how to get SSH working.

### First, check which image you are running

If you flashed Anthias from the Raspberry Pi Imager list, or from one of our release disk images, there is no SSH on it and no way to switch it on. Those are balenaOS images that join the fleet we run, so none of the steps below apply to them. There is a fuller explanation in [Enable SSH on Anthias using disk image](https://forums.screenly.io/t/enable-ssh-on-anthias-using-disk-image/1089/5).

If you want SSH, use the other route: write Raspberry Pi OS Lite yourself and run the Anthias installer on top of it. That is what the rest of this post covers.

### Enabling SSH when you write the card

The blank `ssh` file mentioned earlier in this thread does still work, but on current Raspberry Pi OS it is no longer enough on its own. There is no default `pi` user any more, so switching SSH on without also creating a user leaves you with no account to log in as. That is very likely what went wrong for anyone following the old advice recently.

The easy way, in Raspberry Pi Imager:

1. Pick your Raspberry Pi model, then **Raspberry Pi OS Lite (64-bit)** under _Raspberry Pi OS (other)_, then your SD card.
2. Open the **Customisation** tab.
3. Under **User** , set a username and password. This part is required, and it is the account you will log in with.
4. Under **Remote Access** , turn on **Enable SSH**. Choose password authentication, or public key if you prefer keys.
5. Write the card.

On older versions of the Imager the same settings sit behind a gear icon or an _Edit Settings_ button, under _General_ and _Services_.

Boot the Pi and `ssh yourname@your-pi` works straight away.

### If you have already written the card

No need to start over. Put the card back in your computer and, on the small `bootfs` partition:

- create an empty file named `ssh`, with no file extension
- create a file named `userconf.txt` holding a single line, `yourname:encryptedpassword`

Generate that encrypted password with:

```auto
openssl passwd -6

```

### Then install Anthias

```auto
bash <(curl -sL https://install-anthias.srly.io)

```

The full walkthrough is in [the install guide](https://anthias.screenly.io/docs/install/#advanced-scripted-install-on-raspberry-pi-os-lite-or-debian).

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