Creating Secure Shell Keys

Secure Shell (SSH) is a way of logging into a remote computer to execute commands on that machine. SSH keys are used in key-based authentication system, as an alternative to the default password authentication system. With key-based authentication there is no need to manually type a password to authenticate.

Secure Shell keys are made of two keys: a private key, that must be kept secret, and a public key which can be uploaded to any computer you need to access.

To create a Secure Shell key:

  1. Choose File ▸ New...

  2. Select Secure Shell Key and click Continue

  3. Enter a description of what the key is to be used for. You can use your e-mail address or any other reminder. You can also specify advanced options for the key: see below.

  4. Click Just Create Key to create the new key, or Create and Set Up to create the key and set up another computer to use it for authentication.

  5. The Passphrase for New Secure Shell Key dialog opens. Enter the passphrase twice for your new key.

    Use similar practices to generating a strong password when choosing a passphrase. The main difference between a password and a passphrase is that, in a passphrase, spaces are valid characters.

4.1. Opcions avançadas

Expand the Advanced key options section to specify the following options for a new key:

Encryption Type

This field specifies the encryption algorithms used to generate your key.

RSA

Use the Rivest-ShamirAdleman (RSA) algorithm to create the SSH key. This is the preferred and more secure choice.

DSA

Use the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) to create the SSH key.

Key Strength (bits)

This is the length of the key in bits. The longer the key, the more secure it will be, provided a strong passphrase is used. Conversely, performing any operation with a longer key will require more time than it would with a shorter key. Acceptable values are between 1024 and 4096 bits. At least 2048 bits is recommended.