RussenReaktor’s Weblog

«Lets do this step by step:

- login to your server
- type: ssh-keygen -b 1024 -t dsa -N passphrase -f mykey
- change «passphrase» to a secret keyword only you know
- type: ls -l mykey*

We just created a SSH2 DSA key with 1024 bit keyphrase. You will see two files. One named «mykey» and one named «mykey.pub». As you might guess, the .pub file is the public key file, the other is the private one. Next create a user on the server with a home directory:

- type: useradd -m myuser

You will have a directory under /home with the name «myuser», create a new directory in «myuser» called «.ssh»:

- type: cd /home/myuser
- type: mkdir .ssh

Then go to the directory where you created your keys and copy the public key to the .ssh userfolder with the following command:

- type: cp mykey.pub /home/myuser/.ssh/authorized_keys

or if you already have some keys in place

- type: cat mykey.pub >> /home/myuser/.ssh/authorized_keys

Please pay attention to the filename, it really must be «authorized_keys». In some old OpenSSH implementations, it was «authorized_keys2″. Now download the private key file to your client computer. Remember, the file was «mykey»

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SSH key generation and connection check (client)
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Grab the tools we need for doing SSH on windows on this site:
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/

Just go to the download section and get «Putty», «Plink», «Pageant» and «Puttygen»

In order to use the private key we get from the server, we have to convert it to a putty format. This is because the private key file format is not specified by some standard body. To do this we simple open «puttygen» and open the «conversions» menu and chose «Import Key». Then browse to your file «mykey» which you got from the server enter your provided passphrase upon creation of the key. Finally click «Save private key» and save the file as «mykey.PPK» somewhere on disk.

Now we are ready to use this key for the first time to test the connection. In order to do this, we open the program «putty» and create a new session like this:

Session->HostName: Hostname or IP Adress of your server
Session->Protocol: SSH
Session->Saved Sessions: MyConnection
SSH->Prefered SSH Protocol version: 2
SSH->Auth->Private Key file for auth: $PATH$\mykey.PKK (replace $PATH$ with real path to the mykey.PKK file)

Then go back to Session tab and hit «save» button. You will see «MyConnection» in the list of available connections.» tortoisesvn.net