How to log into AWS instance using password authentication

By default SSHD in linux instances in AWS are started with password authentication set to NO. For good resaons. Clear text password authentication is NOT as secured.
However for development instances or sandboxes, it might provide a "convenience" that may be worth.
To enable password authentication to AWS linux instances, modify parameter PasswordAuthentication parameter in file sshd_config and then restart the sshd process.
For example...

1	root@domU-12-31-39-00-7C-94:[/etc/ssh]

2

$ pwd

3

/etc/ssh

4	root@domU-12-31-39-00-7C-94:[/etc/ssh]

5

$

6	$ vi sshd_config

In the VI editor...

1	# To disable tunneled clear text passwords, change to no here!

2	PasswordAuthentication yes # <<<< we enabled this!!!!

3	#PermitEmptyPasswords no

4	# Changed to no per AWS

5	#PasswordAuthentication no

Now restart SSHD process.

01

$ sshd

02	sshd re-exec requires execution with an absolute path

03	root@domU-12-31-39-00-7C-94:[/etc/ssh]

04	$ which sshd

05	/usr/sbin/sshd

06	root@domU-12-31-39-00-7C-94:[/etc/ssh]

07

$

08	root@domU-12-31-39-00-7C-94:[/etc/ssh]

09	$ service /usr/sbin/sshd restart

10	/usr/sbin/sshd: unrecognized service

11	root@domU-12-31-39-00-7C-94:[/etc/ssh]

12	$ service sshd restart

13	Stopping sshd: [ OK ]

14	Starting sshd: [ OK ]

15	root@domU-12-31-39-00-7C-94:[/etc/ssh]

16

$

Now SSHD process is started with password authentication enabled. If we remove the key from the putty profle and open a telnet connection, we'll be prompted for userid and password.
We should be able use a valid linux user with password to login.

1	login as: oracle

2	oracle@ec2-23-22-205-159.compute-1.amazonaws.com's password:

3	oracle@domU-12-31-39-00-7C-94:[/home/oracle]

4

$

5	oracle@domU-12-31-39-00-7C-94:[/home/oracle]

6

$

7	oracle@domU-12-31-39-00-7C-94:[/home/oracle]

8

$

That's it. Be careful when using this technique.