Generate SSH Key with Windows CMD/PowerShell

Windows 10 includes native OpenSSH support accessible from Command Prompt or PowerShell.

  1. Open the Start menu and type “PowerShell.”
  2. Select PowerShell and choose “Run as Administrator.”

Follow these steps to generate an SSH key pair:

ssh-keygen

Press Enter when prompted to specify a file to save the key. You may simply press Enter to accept the default file location.

Next, input a secure passphrase and press Enter. Repeat the passphrase when prompted for confirmation and press Enter again.

Upon successful generation, you should see a similar output:

Enter file in which to save the key (C:\Users\/.ssh/id_rsa):
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):
Enter same passphrase again:
Your identification has been saved in C:\Users\/.ssh/id_rsa.
Your public key has been saved in C:\Users\/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.
The key fingerprint is:
SHA256:m9eb6SIE28EmCLLR6Uj1A/UdFy6iZE48AEsJnMiu0Jc @
The key's randomart image is:
+---[RSA 2048]----+
|*+==.. . o. |
|=*= = . . + |
|oO . @ + o . |
|+.o E * = . |
|o . o *S. |
|. . oo . |
| .o . . |
| ... + |
| . o= |
+----[SHA256]-----+

(Optional) Ensure the correct permissions for ~/.ssh:

cd .ssh
icacls id_rsa.pub /inheritance:r

For the following command, replace ‘username’ with your Windows username:

icacls id_rsa.pub /grant:r username:"(R)"

Adding Your Public Key To Your Settings

After executing the previous command, the output will be highlighted. Press Enter to copy this data to your clipboard.

Consider pasting this content into a Notepad document for reference while you access your account.

Here are the steps to add your public key:

  1. Log into your Pressillion account and click on your name to reveal the dropdown menu.
  2. Choose “Your Settings.”
  3. On the left menu, select “SSH Keys.”
  4. Assign a name to your key.
  5. Paste the public key content into the provided large text field.
  6. Click the green “Add Key” button.

Upon successful completion, your new key will be visible in the Active SSH Keys list as illustrated below:

Add Your Public Key To Your Server

Proceed to add the key to the server by following the steps detailed in this article: Add/Remove an SSH Key

Connecting To Your Server

To connect to the server via the terminal, enter the following command:

ssh root@ipaddress

For instance, if your IP address is 76.135.172.28:

ssh root@76.135.172.28

You might notice the term “root,” even if you didn’t name your key as such. In Pressillion, every key added to the Active SSH Keys is considered a root key.

Upon the first connection attempt, you might be prompted to confirm whether you want to continue connecting and add the IP address to your list of known hosts. Type “yes” to proceed.

If the private key on your machine matches the public key on the server, successful authentication will occur, and you’ll be connected to the server.