Manage root's SSH Keys

Valid for versions 82 through the latest version

Version:

82

Last modified: June 13, 2024

Overview

This interface allows you to add, import, and manage the SSH keys on your server. The system divides SSH keys into public and private key sets in two separate lists.

Generate a New Key

To generate a new SSH key set, which includes a public key and private key, perform the following steps:

1. Click Generate a New Key.
2. To set a custom key name, enter the key name in the Key Name (defaults to id_dsa): text box.
   Note:

   If you set a custom key name, you must manually specify the SSH key when you log in to the server. To manually set the SSH key, run the following command, where user is the username and example is the server name or IP address:

   ssh user@example -i /root/.ssh/key_name

3. To use a password for the SSH key, perform the following step:
   • Enter and confirm the new password in the appropriate text boxes.
     Note:

     • The system evaluates the password that you enter on a scale of 100 points. 0 indicates a weak password, while 100 indicates a very secure password.
     • Some web hosts require a minimum password strength. A green password Strength meter indicates that the password is equal to or greater than the required password strength.
     • Click Password Generator to generate a strong password. For more information, read our Password & Security documentation.
4. Select the desired key type.
   • DSA — Provides quicker key generation and signing times.
   • RSA — Provide quicker verification times.
5. Select the desired key size.
   Note:

   Larger key sizes are more secure, but they result in larger file sizes and slower authentication times.
6. Click Generate Key. WHM displays the saved location of the key.
   Important:

   For the new SSH key to function, you must authorize it. For more information, read the Manage your keys section below.

Import Key

To import an existing SSH key, perform the following steps:

1. Click Import Key.

2. To use a custom key name, enter the key name in the Choose a name for this key (defaults to id_dsa) text box.

   Important:

   If you use a custom key name, you must manually specify the SSH key when you log in to the server. To manually specify the SSH key, run the following command, where user is the username and example is the server name or IP address:

   user@example -i /root/.ssh/key_name

3. To import a PPK (PuTTY Key Generator) file, enter the password in the Private key passphrase (Needed for PPK import only) text box.

4. Paste the public and private keys into the appropriate text boxes.

   Important:

   Private keys should always remain on the server that generated them. Do not enter the private key when you import another server’s key to allow SSH connections between the two servers, or to use SSH for account transfers.

5. Click Import.

Manage your keys

The Public Keys and Private Keys tables display the following information about your existing keys:

• Name — The key’s name. Public and private keys share the same key name.
• Authorization Status — Whether you have authorized the key.
  Important:

  You must authorize new keys before you attempt to use them.
  Note:

  This column only appears in the Public Keys table.
• Actions — You can perform the following actions:
  • Delete Key — Click to delete the key, and then click Yes to confirm that you wish to delete the key.
  • View/Download Key — Click to view or download the key. To download the key, copy the contents of the text box that appears and save it as a file on your computer.
  • Manage Authorization — Click to manage authorization for the key. A new interface appears. Click Authorize to authorize the key, or Deauthorize to deauthorize the key.
    Note:

    • The Manage Authorization action is only available for public keys.
    • When you deauthorize a key, that key’s users cannot log in with the associated private key.