diff --git a/builder/linode/ssh.go b/builder/linode/ssh.go
index 8f291c450..5142da9a6 100644
--- a/builder/linode/ssh.go
+++ b/builder/linode/ssh.go
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/hashicorp/packer/helper/multistep"
 	"github.com/linode/linodego"
-	"golang.org/x/crypto/ssh"
 )
 
 func commHost(host string) func(multistep.StateBag) (string, error) {
@@ -23,13 +22,3 @@ func commHost(host string) func(multistep.StateBag) (string, error) {
 		return instance.IPv4[0].String(), nil
 	}
 }
-
-func sshConfig(state multistep.StateBag) (*ssh.ClientConfig, error) {
-	return &ssh.ClientConfig{
-		User:            "root",
-		HostKeyCallback: ssh.InsecureIgnoreHostKey(),
-		Auth: []ssh.AuthMethod{
-			ssh.Password(state.Get("root_pass").(string)),
-		},
-	}, nil
-}