How do I generate ssh RSA keys under Linux operating systems?
You need to use the ssh-keygen command as follows to generate RSA keys (open terminal and type the following command):
ssh-keygen -t rsa
OR
ssh-keygen
Sample outputs:
Enter file in which to save the key (/home/vivek/.ssh/id_rsa): Created directory '/home/vivek/.ssh'. Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase): Enter same passphrase again: Your identification has been saved in /home/vivek/.ssh/id_rsa. Your public key has been saved in /home/vivek/.ssh/id_rsa.pub. The key fingerprint is: 58:3a:80:a5:df:17:b0:af:4f:90:07:c5:3c:01:50:c2 vivek@debian
The -t type option specifies the type of key to create. The possible values “rsa” or “dsa” for protocol version 2. The $HOME/.ssh stores the following two files:
- $HOME/.ssh/id_rsa - Your private RSA key
- $HOME/.ssh/id_rsa.pub - Your public RSA key
Please do not share keys file with anyone else. You can upload keys to remote server as follows:
ssh-copy-id userName@server2.nixcraft.net.in
Finally, you can login to remote server as follows:
ssh userName@server2.nixcraft.net.in
scp file.txt userName@server2.nixcraft.net.in:~/data2/
See also:
- Howto Linux / UNIX setup SSH with DSA public key authentication (password less login)
- sshpass: Login To SSH Server / Provide SSH Password Using A Shell Script
- keychain: Set Up Secure Passwordless SSH Access For Backup Scripts
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