20.7.3.3. Generating an RSA Key Pair for Version 1.3 and 1.5
Use the following steps to generate an RSA key pair, which is used by version 1 of the SSH Protocol. If you are only connecting between systems that use DSA, you do not need an RSA version 1.3 or RSA version 1.5 key pair.
- To generate an RSA (for version 1.3 and 1.5 protocol) key pair, type the following command at a shell prompt:
ssh-keygen -t rsa1Accept the default file location (~/.ssh/identity). Enter a passphrase different from your account password. Confirm the passphrase by entering it again.The public key is written to~/.ssh/identity.pub. The private key is written to~/.ssh/identity. Do not give anyone the private key. - Change the permissions of your
.sshdirectory and your key with the commandschmod 755 ~/.sshandchmod 644 ~/.ssh/identity.pub. - Copy the contents of
~/.ssh/identity.pubinto the file~/.ssh/authorized_keyson the machine to which you wish to connect. If the file~/.ssh/authorized_keysdoes not exist, you can copy the file~/.ssh/identity.pubto the file~/.ssh/authorized_keyson the remote machine. - If you are running GNOME, skip to Section 20.7.3.4, “Configuring
ssh-agentwith a GUI”. If you are not running GNOME, skip to Section 20.7.3.5, “Configuringssh-agent”.
