Create SSH Key Pair Quick Start

This guide is specifically for creating a SSH Key Pair to connect remotely to a Constellation Network node. It is a general guide.

◽ Learn SSH Keys (optional)

Detailed step-by-step guides can be found here.

◽ Prepare to Create Key Pair

We need to open a command prompt or terminal window.

Choose

Please choose Windows or Macintosh platform.

Windows

◽ Open a Command Prompt

From the Microsoft Windows start menu type in Command Prompt on the main search bar and select the Command Prompt icon.

Command Prompt    x

C:\Users\myuser>

Mac/Linux

◽ Open a Terminal Window

Click on the Launchpad icon on the Apple dock panel.

In the search bar at the top, enter in Terminal

Last login: [time here]
myuser@myuser-MacBook ~ %

◽ Create SSH Key Pair

Choose

Please choose Windows or Macintosh platform.

Windows

Change to the .ssh directory to simplify creation and future locating of your SSH key pairs.

cd .ssh

Generatate SSH key.

ssh-keygen -b 4096 -C ConstellationNetwork

Command Prompt    x

C:\Users\myuser\.ssh>ssh-keygen -b 4096 -C ConstellationNetwork
Generating public/private rsa key pair.
Enter file in which to save the key (C:\Users\myuser/.ssh/id_rsa):

Choose a name for your key pair (use whatever name you would like.)

ConstellationNodeKeyPair

Enter a complex strong passphrase and confirm the passphrase.

Command Prompt    x

Enter passphrase (emtpy for no passphrase)
Enter same passphrase again:
Your identification has been saved in ConstellationNodeKeyPair.pub
The key fingerprint is: SHA256: 13vaB0xApJUD13F+Lg9e1uA13rmXaticP0vQd13LBXNk
The key's randomart image is:
+---[RSA 4096]----+
(image code omitted)
+---[SHA256]------+
C:\Users\myuser\.ssh>

We are in the .ssh directory off the root of the user's home directory.

We can do a directory listing to review our newly created key pair.

Dates, times, and file sizes may/will not match, for example only.

dir

Command Prompt    x

C:\Users\myuser\.ssh>dir
Volume Serial Number is XXX-XXXX

directory of C:\Users\myuser\.ssh

XX/XX/XXXX 09:00 AM <DIR>
XX/XX/XXXX 09:00 AM <DIR>
XX/XX/XXXX 09:00 AM    3,434 ConstellationNodeKeyPair
XX/XX/XXXX 09:00 AM      734 ConstellationNodeKeyPair.pub
C:\Users\myuser\.ssh>

Mac/Linux

Change to the .ssh directory to simplify creation and future locating of your SSH key pairs.

cd .ssh

Generatate SSH key.

ssh-keygen -C ConstellationNetwork

myuser@myuser-MacBook .ssh % ssh-keygen -C ConstellationNetwork
Generating public/private ed25519 key pair.
Enter file in which to save the key (/Users/myuser/.ssh/id_ed25519):

Choose a name for your key pair (use whatever name you would like.)

ConstellationNodeKeyPair

Enter a complex strong passphrase and confirm the passphrase.

Enter passphrase (emtpy for no passphrase)
Enter same passphrase again:
Your identification has been saved in ConstellationNodeKeyPair.pub
The key fingerprint is: SHA256: 13vaB0xApJUD13F+Lg9e1uA13rmXaticP0vQd13LBXNk
The key's randomart image is:
+---[ED25519 256]----+
(image code omitted)
+---[SHA256]------+
myuser@myuser-MacBook .ssh %

We are in the .ssh directory off the root of the user's home directory. We can do a directory listing to review our newly created key pair.

ls -l

Use lowercase letter L not number 1 - dates, times, and file sizes may/will not match, for example only.

myuser@myuser-MacBook .ssh % ls -l
total XXX
-rw--------- 1 myuser myuser   464 Mon XX 09:00 ConstellationNodeKeyPair
-rw--------- 1 myuser myuser   102 Mon XX 09:00 ConstellationNodeKeyPair.pub
myuser@myuser-MacBook .ssh %

◽ Update Notes

Create a notes document or update your notes documentation with your new information:

• public key name
• private key name
• local location for your keys
• SSH key passphrase

◽ Creation Complete!

You should now have your SSH private and public keys properly created and ready for use in your .ssh subdirectory under your local computer's user account.

If you have reached this page from the VPS Build Quick Start guide, you can return to the document here.