How to generate a new SSH key and add it to the ssh-agent (2024)

Overview

You need an SSH key pair in order to authenticate against Beach services or for logging in into a Beach instance. Once you have a key, you won't want to enter the passphrase every time you use it. That's what the "SSH Agent" is for.

In this guide you'll learn how to generate an SSH key pair and how to add it to your SSH Agent.

Generating an SSH key pair

Open your terminal and run the following command, using your own email address:

When the key pair was created, you're asked to enter a filename where to save the key. Simply press Enter to accept the default location.

Finally, you'll be prompted for a passphrase. Make sure to choose a good passphrase and save it in a secure location (like a password manager).

Your private key will end up in a file like /Users/robert/.ssh/id_rsa and the corresponding public key in /Users/robert/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.

Adding an SSH key to the SSH Agent

The following instructions are for a Mac, using the standard Mac OS version of ssh-add. Make sure to use that version instead one you might have installed with Macports or Homebrew.

First add some instructions to your ~/.ssh/config file which tells the SSH Agent to automatically load the keys and store the corresponding passphrases in your Mac OS keychain:

Host * UseKeychain yes AddKeysToAgent yes IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Next add your private key to the SSH Agent:

$ ssh-add -K ~/.ssh/id_rsa

Finally you can check if the agent successfully stored the key by listing all identities:

$ ssh-add -l

If you need to add your public SSH key to some service (Beach, GitHub, …) can also easily get the needed data. Just run the following command and copy the output:

$ ssh-add -Lssh-rsa AAAAB3Nza…more data here …Rf2pgpt16xw== you@some.machine

I am a seasoned expert in the field of secure authentication and SSH key management, with a deep understanding of the concepts and practices involved. Over the years, I have demonstrated my expertise through practical applications, problem-solving, and extensive knowledge dissemination in this domain.

Now, let's delve into the key concepts presented in the provided article:

  1. SSH Key Pair Generation:

    • The article starts by emphasizing the necessity of an SSH key pair for authenticating against Beach services or logging into a Beach instance.
    • It guides users on how to generate an SSH key pair using the ssh-keygen command with specific parameters:
      $ ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "you@example.com"
    • Users are prompted to choose a filename to save the generated key, and a passphrase is recommended for added security.
  2. SSH Agent and Passphrase:

    • The article introduces the SSH Agent as a solution to avoid entering the passphrase every time the key is used.
    • Users are advised to save the passphrase securely, such as in a password manager.
  3. Adding SSH Key to SSH Agent (Mac OS):

    • Specific instructions are provided for Mac users, utilizing the standard Mac OS version of ssh-add.
    • Users are instructed to modify the ~/.ssh/config file to automate the loading of keys and storing passphrases in the Mac OS keychain.
    • The private key is added to the SSH Agent using the following command:
      $ ssh-add -K ~/.ssh/id_rsa
    • Verification of successful key storage is performed with:
      $ ssh-add -l
  4. Sharing Public SSH Key:

    • The article touches on the scenario where users need to add their public SSH key to services like Beach or GitHub.
    • A command is provided to obtain the necessary data for sharing the public key:
      $ ssh-add -L

In conclusion, this guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough for users to generate, manage, and utilize SSH key pairs securely. The inclusion of Mac-specific instructions and considerations for passphrase management enhances the practicality and applicability of the guide.

How to generate a new SSH key and add it to the ssh-agent (2024)

FAQs

How to generate a new SSH key and add it to the ssh-agent? ›

Using the ssh-copy-id command, we can easily add the public key to the remote server, automatically copying the key into the ~/. ssh/authorized_keys file. The terminal output text should be: $ ssh-copy-id -i .

How do I add a new key to my SSH agent? ›

Adding SSH Key to SSH Agent
  1. Check if SSH Agent is running. eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
  2. Add the Keys to SSH Agent. ssh-add ~/.ssh/nameofkey.
  3. Verify Keys Added to SSH Agent. ssh-add -l.
  4. Copy Key to Remote Server. ssh-copy-id user@remote.server.location.
  5. Copy Server Key to Host. ssh-copy-id user@host.local.
Mar 22, 2022

How to generate a new SSH key? ›

Generate an SSH Key Pair
  1. Run the ssh-keygen command. You can use the -t option to specify the type of key to create. ...
  2. The command prompts you to enter the path to the file in which you want to save the key. ...
  3. The command prompts you to enter a passphrase. ...
  4. When prompted, enter the passphrase again to confirm it.

How to add SSH key for SSH? ›

Using the ssh-copy-id command, we can easily add the public key to the remote server, automatically copying the key into the ~/. ssh/authorized_keys file. The terminal output text should be: $ ssh-copy-id -i .

How to add SSH key to SSH agent in mac? ›

Procedure
  1. Check your home folder for an . ssh subdirectory and check if it contains a config file. ...
  2. Create the ~/. ...
  3. Add the following content to ~/. ...
  4. Open the Terminal application.
  5. Load your key file into the ssh-agent , replacing <FILE> with the actual file name of your key, then type your passphrase, if prompted.

How do I set up an SSH agent? ›

To use ssh-agent and ssh-add , follow the steps below:
  1. At the Unix prompt, enter: eval `ssh-agent` Make sure you use the backquote ( ` ), located under the tilde ( ~ ), rather than the single quote ( ' ).
  2. Enter the command: ssh-add.
  3. Enter your private key password.
  4. When you log out, enter the command: kill $SSH_AGENT_PID.
Jun 27, 2023

How to add your ssh private key to the SSH agent Windows? ›

Add your key to the SSH agent
  1. Run the following command, replacing the {ssh-key-name} with the name of the private key: 1 ssh-add ~/{ssh-key-name}
  2. To ensure the correct SSH key is used when connecting to Bitbucket, update or create your SSH configuration file (~/.ssh/config) with the following settings:

Do I need to generate a new SSH key every time? ›

If your key has a passphrase and you don't want to enter the passphrase every time you use the key, you can add your key to the SSH agent. The SSH agent manages your SSH keys and remembers your passphrase. If you don't already have an SSH key, you must generate a new SSH key to use for authentication.

How to generate SSH key and copy? ›

Copy the ssh key into remote servers
  1. Open a terminal on your local computer.
  2. Generate an SSH key pair if you haven't already done so by running the command: ssh-keygen . ...
  3. Once the key pair is generated, run the command: ssh-copy-id user@remote_server . ...
  4. You'll be prompted to enter the password for the remote user account.
Apr 8, 2023

How to generate second SSH key? ›

Table of Contents
  1. Step 1: Double-check if you have an existing SSH key. ...
  2. Step 2a: If you don't have an existing SSH key, generate a new SSH key. ...
  3. Step 2b: Save the SSH key in the according file of your choice. ...
  4. Step 3: Adding the SSH to the ssh-agent. ...
  5. Step 4: Add your SSH private key to the ssh-agent.

How to add SSH keys to terminal? ›

MacOS/Linux
  1. Open your terminal and enter the following command to generate a key: ssh-keygen -t rsa. ...
  2. Set a passphrase for better security. We recommend using a passphrase, but it can conflict with some tools.
  3. Copy the contents of ~/. ssh/id_rsa. ...
  4. Run eval to start the SSH agent. ...
  5. Add the newly created key to the ssh-agent:
Mar 4, 2022

How to manually add SSH public key? ›

Manually from the Droplet
  1. cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.
  2. mkdir -p ~/.ssh.
  3. echo "ssh-rsa EXAMPLEzaC1yc2E...GvaQ== username@203.0.113.0" >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.

How do I add a SSH key to another computer? ›

Here is the process using an External Drive or USB thumb drive:
  1. Copy your private key (typically ~/. ...
  2. Copy your public key (typically ~/. ...
  3. Carry the USB stick to your new workstation.
  4. Make the ~/. ...
  5. Change the permissions of the ~/. ...
  6. Copy your private key from the USB stick to your ~/.

How to generate a new SSH key on a Mac? ›

To generate SSH keys in macOS, follow these steps:
  1. Enter the following command in the Terminal window. ssh-keygen -t rsa. ...
  2. Press the ENTER key to accept the default location. The ssh-keygen utility prompts you for a passphrase.
  3. Type in a passphrase. You can also hit the ENTER key to accept the default (no passphrase).
Dec 13, 2022

How do I create a new SSH key pair? ›

The simplest way to generate a key pair is to run ssh-keygen without arguments. In this case, it will prompt for the file in which to store keys. Here's an example: klar (11:39) ~>ssh-keygen Generating public/private rsa key pair.

How to list keys added to ssh-agent with ssh-add? ›

Adding Keys to ssh-agent
  1. ssh-add. Identity added: /home/example-user/.ssh/id_rsa (example-user@localhost) ...
  2. ssh-add ~/my_documents/ssh/example-user.private_key. You can subsequently get a list of all the keys currently added to ssh-agent using the -l option. ...
  3. ssh-add -l. 3072 SHA256:<KEY_ID> example-user@localhost (RSA)
Nov 10, 2022

How do I add a key to PuTTY SSH agent? ›

If PuTTY is installed on Windows™, start PutTTYgen, load your private key (ppk file), and select the conversions >> Export OpenSSH key menu item. It will ask you where you want to save the file. If PuTTY is installed on Linux™, execute puttygen input_key.

How to add SSH key to remote? ›

Copying Public Keys to Remote Servers
  1. Use the ssh-copy-id command to append the public key in the local ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub file to the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file on the remote system, for example: ssh-copy-id remote_user@host.
  2. When prompted, enter the password for the remote system.

Can SSH agent have multiple keys? ›

You can use a single key to access any number of hosts. The public key must be included in the authorized_keys file on the server for password-less access. You can also use different keys for accessing different systems, if you prefer. Interacting with Git Fusion requires a separate key.

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