The relationship between SSH client authentication using a password and SSH client authentication using a public key.

For an SSH client, the two types of client authentication are complementary rather than mutually exclusive.

• If client authentication using a public key is specified, then the SSH client attempts to do client authentication using a public key.

• If client authentication using a public key is not specified, or if this type of client authentication is tried and fails, then the SSH client attempts to do client authentication using a password.