How To Generate Ssh Key In Windows

Laptop screen showing SSH connection — Eny Setiyowati/Shutterstock.com

If part of your life includes logging in to a remote server be it for a cocky-hosted web log, a Nextcloud installation, or sending your latest changes to GitHub, you need SSH keys. In Windows 10 and 11 we are spoiled for choice when information technology comes to generating new keys.

Here's how to create all the SSH keys y'all'll e'er need using 3 different methods. Nosotros'll show y'all how to generate your initial set of keys, as well as additional ones if yous desire to create unlike keys for multiple sites.

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Option ane: Generate Keys in the Command Line

Windows x has had a built-in OpenSSH client since the April 2018 update. Windows 11 also comes with this characteristic built-in.

To use it open up the Windows Command Prompt past hitting the Windows primal and typing "cmd".

Tip: If yous use the command line often, we'd highly recommend installing Windows Final from the Windows Store (installed on Windows 11 by default). Information technology'south a tabbed program that can run the Command Prompt, PowerShell, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux all in one window. It also has fun features like setting background images.

Whether you use Control Prompt or Windows Terminal, type ssh-keygen and hit Enter. This will automatically generate the SSH keys. In our tests on Windows 11, it created a 2048-bit RSA key. If you'd like to use a different algorithm—GitHub recommends Ed25519, for example—so you'd type ssh-keygen -t ed25519.

A Windows Terminal window showing the command prompt with ssh-keygen command

Afterward you type your control hit Enter, and and then you'll be prompted to give your key a name and save information technology in a specific location. If you apply the defaults then information technology will relieve your keys in C:\User[YourUserName].ssh —bold the C drive is where your user account is stored.

Windows 11 Command Prompt displaying the option of where to save SSH keys.

Next, you lot'll be asked to enter a passphrase. We highly recommend you lot practise this to continue your key secure. If yous're worried about forgetting your password check out this round-up of the best password managers on Review Geek. If you actually don't want a passphrase then just hitting Enter.

The Windows 11 Command Prompt asking to create a password for the newly created SSH key.

That's it your keys are created, saved, and set for utilize. You will see you lot accept two files in your ".ssh" binder: "id_rsa" with no file extension and "id_rsa.pub." The latter is the key you upload to servers to authenticate while the former is the private primal that you lot don't share with others.

A command line window showing all the commands to create SSH keys

Note: If you tin't see your ".ssh" binder in File Explorer, check out our tutorial on how to bear witness hidden files and folders in Windows.

If you wanted to create multiple keys for dissimilar sites that's easy likewise. Say, for instance, you lot wanted to use the default keys we just generated for a server yous take on Digital Bounding main, and yous wanted to create another gear up of keys for GitHub. You'd follow the aforementioned process as higher up, but when it came time to save your fundamental you'd just give information technology a different name such as "id_rsa_github" or something similar. You lot tin exercise that as many times equally you like. Just remember that the more than keys you have, the more than keys y'all take to manage. When you upgrade to a new PC yous need to move those keys with your other files or take chances losing admission to your servers and accounts, at least temporarily.

RELATED: How PowerShell Differs From the Windows Command Prompt

Option 2: Generate Keys in WSL

The WSL Ubuntu command line showing virtually the same SSH key creation process as the Windows Command Prompt.

If y'all're a WSL user, yous can use a like method with your WSL install. In fact, it's basically the same as with the Command Prompt version. Why would you lot desire to do this? If you lot primarily alive in Linux for command line duties then it just makes sense to go on your keys in WSL.

Open up Windows Terminal or the built-in Ubuntu command prompt (assuming you installed Ubuntu Linux). Then it's very like to Windows. Unlike Windows, it's best to specify whether you want an RSA fundamental or something like Ed25519.

Say you wanted to create an RSA-4096 key. You'd type in the following control:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096

If you lot wanted Ed25519 and then the recommended style is as follows:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your@email.address"

It's recommended to add your email address as an identifier, though you don't take to do this on Windows since Microsoft's version automatically uses your username and the name of your PC for this.

Again, to generate multiple keys for different sites just tag on something like "_github" to the terminate of the filename.

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Option 3: Generate Keys With PuTTY

For years, the old school PuTTY programme was a pop way to communicate with a server in Windows. If you've already got this program on your system it also offers a method for creating SSH keys.

PuTTY comes with a number of helper programs, one of which is called the PuTTY Key Generator. To open that either search for it past hitting the Windows Central and typing "puttygen," or searching for it in the Start bill of fare.

puTTY and its helper programs listed in the Windows 11 Start menu

Once information technology's open, at the bottom of the window you'll run across the diverse types of keys to generate. If you're not sure which to use, select "RSA" and and so in the entry box that says "Number Of $.25 In A Generated Key" type in "4096." Some other alternative is to select "EdDSA," and then from the drop-down menu that appears below it make sure "Ed25519 (255 bits)" is selected.

Putty Key Generator with red arrows pointing at the key creation options at the bottom of the window.

Now, all you take to exercise is click "Generate," and PuTTY will start working. This shouldn't take as well long depending on the strength of your arrangement, and PuTTy volition ask yous to movement your mouse around within the window to help create a footling more than randomness during primal generation.

In one case that's done click "Save Public Key" to save your public key, and salve it where y'all desire with the name "id_rsa.pub" or "id_ed25519.pub" depending on whether you lot selected RSA or Ed25519 in the earlier pace.

So to become your private fundamental it takes an extra footstep. Past default, PuTTY generates PPK keys for use with the PuTTy client. If yous desire OpenSSH, however, at the top of the window select Conversions > Consign OpenSSH Cardinal so save the file as "id_rsa" or "id_ed25519" with no file ending.

Select the export SSH key option in Putty.

Generating SSH keys is really easy whichever method you choose. Nosotros'd recommend going with the Windows Command Prompt option unless you already accept PuTTY installed, or adopt Linux and understand that arrangement.

RELATED: The Best Ways to Secure Your SSH Server

Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/762863/how-to-generate-ssh-keys-in-windows-10-and-windows-11/

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