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Asked: 2024-09-27T06:48:23+05:30 In:

What are the steps to set up an SSH private key that was generated using PuTTYgen on a Linux system?

So, I’ve been trying to figure out how to set up an SSH private key that I generated with PuTTYgen on my Linux machine, and I could really use some help. I’ve got the key and everything, but I’m a bit lost when it comes to the actual setup process. The way I see it, I need to ensure that it’s properly formatted and in the right location so my Linux system can recognize it, but I’m not quite sure about the details.

First off, I read that I need to convert my PuTTY private key (.ppk) to an OpenSSH format, but then I got stuck. Do I need to use a specific command for that, or is there a tool I should be using on Linux? I’ve seen some chatter about using `puttygen` on the command line, but I couldn’t follow the instructions I found online. If you’ve done this before, what’s the easiest way to convert the key?

After converting the key, I think I’m supposed to move the file to a specific directory. Do I put it in the `~/.ssh` folder? Also, do I need to create that folder if it doesn’t already exist? And what about the file permissions—is there a particular setting I should apply to make sure everything is secure?

Next up, I know I need to add the public key to the `authorized_keys` file on the server I’m trying to access. Is that a straightforward copy-paste job, or are there other steps I should take to make sure the connection works? I’ve seen tutorials that mention ensuring the right permissions on that `authorized_keys` file too.

Oh, and let’s not forget about testing the connection afterward! What’s the command I should be using? I want to make sure everything is working smoothly before I get too comfortable. Any pointers would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for your help—I’m really trying to nail this down.

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    2 Answers

    1. To set up your SSH private key generated with PuTTYgen on your Linux machine, you will first need to convert the `.ppk` file to OpenSSH format. To do this, you can use the `puttygen` tool, which should be installed on your system. The command you’ll need is: puttygen your_key.ppk -O private-openssh -o your_key. This command converts the PuTTY private key to a compatible OpenSSH private key format and saves it as “your_key”. Ensure you replace “your_key.ppk” with the actual filename of your PuTTY key. Once this is done, you should move the converted key to your ~/.ssh directory, which is where SSH keys are commonly stored. If this folder does not exist, you can create it using mkdir -p ~/.ssh. Also, for the security of your key, set the correct permissions with chmod 600 ~/.ssh/your_key, which ensures that only your user can read and write this file.

      Next, you need to add your public key to the authorized_keys file on the server you are trying to connect to. The public key is usually generated at the time you create your private key, and it should be in the same directory or can be generated from the private key if not. You can copy your public key and append it to the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file on the remote server using the command: cat your_public_key.pub >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys. Make sure the authorized_keys file has the correct permissions set, using chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys. To test the connection, you can simply use the command: ssh -i ~/.ssh/your_key username@hostname, replacing username with your actual user name on the server and hostname with the server’s address. This will attempt to connect using your specified private key. If everything is set up correctly, you should be able to log in without any issues.


    2. Setting Up SSH with PuTTY Key on Linux

      To set up your SSH private key from PuTTY on your Linux machine, you’ll need to go through a few steps. Here’s a simple breakdown to help you out.

      1. Convert .ppk Key to OpenSSH Format

      First, you need to convert the PuTTY private key (.ppk) to OpenSSH format. You can do this using puttygen from the command line. If you haven’t installed putty-tools, you can install it using:

      sudo apt-get install putty-tools

      Once installed, run the following command:

      puttygen your-key.ppk -O private-openssh -o ~/.ssh/id_rsa

      This converts your key and saves it as id_rsa in your ~/.ssh directory.

      2. Create .ssh Directory (if it doesn’t exist)

      You might need to create the ~/.ssh directory if it’s not there:

      mkdir -p ~/.ssh

      3. Set Appropriate Permissions

      For security reasons, you need to set the correct permissions for your private key. Run:

      chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_rsa

      You should also make sure the ~/.ssh directory itself is properly secured:

      chmod 700 ~/.ssh

      4. Copy the Public Key to the Server

      Next, you will need to get the public key (usually id_rsa.pub). If you didn’t generate it during the conversion, you can make it from your private key:

      ssh-keygen -y -f ~/.ssh/id_rsa > ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

      Then copy the contents of id_rsa.pub to the authorized_keys file on your server. You can do this via:

      cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | ssh username@server "cat >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys"

      Make sure that the authorized_keys file is also secured:

      chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

      And set the permissions for the .ssh directory on the server as well:

      chmod 700 ~/.ssh

      5. Test Your Connection

      Finally, to test the SSH connection, you can use:

      ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa username@server

      Replace username and server with your actual username and server IP or hostname.

      Follow these steps, and you should be good to go. Let me know if you run into any issues!


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