ssh key gen

alaios · 10-03-2013, 08:06 AM

Hi all, my system administrator

asked me to do the below so I can get access to the remote server when I am at home, and through it get access to my working pc.

Quote:

ssh-keygen
And press return, by "Enter passthrase" type something, it is better than to leave it blank.
Then send me your ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub .

What is this I am asking to do? And how save is a sysadmin to have my key?

I would like to thank you in advance for your help

Regards
Alex

pan64 · 10-03-2013, 08:10 AM

first read the man page: http://linux.die.net/man/1/ssh-keygen
next: ssh-keygen will ask a passphrase, you can leave it blank.
~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub is a file and they ask you to send the (content of that) file.
It is safe.

corp769 · 10-03-2013, 08:21 AM

This explains what it does, and how to operate it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ssh-keygen

The wiki page for ssh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Shell

The id_rsa.pub file is your public key; refer to the second link to understand what the public keys are. It is just like PGP; You have your private key, which is your personal, private key, and the public key. Since your "system administrator" is asking for this, it is most likely for remote management. Is this computer your personal computer, or a work/school computer?

alaios · 10-03-2013, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by corp769

This explains what it does, and how to operate it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ssh-keygen
Is this computer your personal computer, or a work/school computer?

this is my computer at work and for access it I need to give the key to admin.

corp769 · 10-03-2013, 12:21 PM

Ahh, then that's that case then, nothing more than just the admin getting everything set up I guess. As pan64 said, no need to worry.

alaios · 10-10-2013, 01:00 PM

I did a mistake! I have sent my ~/.ssh/id_rsa and not the ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

what I did to fix that was to remove the
id_rsa
run ssh-keygen and resubmit the right one.

Alex

lleb · 10-10-2013, 09:30 PM

yes that will work as long as you inform the admin what you did.

also feel free to read up on the links in my sig.