Jim Campbell
jwcampbell@gmail.com 2013
Hashem Nasarat
hashem@riseup.net 2014
Ekaterina Gerasimova
kittykat3756@gmail.com 2014
Create SSH keys to log in to other computers.
Fran Diéguez
frandieguez@gnome.org 2021

# Create a new SSH key

An SSH key will help you to create a secure connection between computers. Creating an SSH key creates both a Public and a Private key. Here is how to create a new key:

Press the + button in the top-left corner of the window.

Select Secure Shell Key from the list.

Enter a description for the key. The key description will help you to identify the key later. For example, you could enter the date for the day, something about how the key will be used, or the server name on which you intend to install the key. The description field is optional, and how you describe the key is entirely up to you.

You can also change default settings for encryption type or key strength.

At this point, you can just create your key, or create your key and install it on a remote computer to enable password-free login.

# Create your key and do not set up remote login

You can create the SSH key, and choose to set it up later.

Press the Just Create Key button.

Type a passphrase for your SSH key and press OK.

Retype the passphrase and press OK to finish.

The SSH key will now be listed in the OpenSSH keys keyring.

When you try to use your SSH key, your operating system will prompt you for the passphrase used during creation. This ensures that if someone gets access to your SSH key, they can't use it without the passphrase.

# Create your key and install it on a remote computer

One of the most useful things about having an SSH key is that you can install the public key on a remote computer. Doing this allows you to log in to a remote computer with SSH without needing to enter your password every time.

Press the Create and Set Up button, and follow the above instructions on entering a passphrase.

In the dialog window that opens, enter the Server address that you normally use to log in to the remote computer via SSH.

Ensure that the Login name you use on the remote computer is correct, and press Set Up.

The program will now attempt to connect to the specified Server address with the entered Login Name. If there are any problems in accessing the remote computer, a pop-up window will appear that explains the problem, and you can try again. Make sure that you have a network connection and that the remote computer is on and accessible.

If connection to the remote computer was successful, a dialog box will appear which asks for the Password you use to log in to the remote computer. Enter your password, then press OK.

The public part of the selected SSH key will now be installed on the remote computer and configured to allow password-free SSH login. You should now be able to log in to the remote computer via SSH without a password.

If SSH key authentication fails and you cannot use password authentication, contact the service administrator for further help.