SSH Public Keys

Public keys let you use SSH without typing your server password every time.

Generate a Key

On your local machine, run:

ssh-keygen

Press Enter to accept the default location. You may enter a passphrase or leave it blank.

This creates a .ssh directory in your home directory containing files similar to:

id_rsa
id_rsa.pub

The private key, id_rsa, must not be shared. The public key, id_rsa.pub, can be shared.

Install the Public Key on a Server

Log in to the server, then create the .ssh directory and set its permissions:

mkdir .ssh
chmod 700 .ssh
cd .ssh

Create or open a file named authorized_keys and paste the contents of your public key into it.

Then set the file permissions:

chmod 600 authorized_keys

Log out and log back in using SSH. If you created the key with a passphrase, enter it when prompted. Otherwise, you should be logged in without typing your server password.