Creating SSH Keys in the GUI

Public key authentication (SSH Key) is a more secure alternative to password authentication that allows users to avoid entering or storing a password, or sending it over the network. The client creates an SSH key pair (a public key and a private key) and then sends the public key to the server's administrator. Once the admin configures the server with the client's public key, the client can authenticate connections to the server with their private key.

You can use the application GUI to generate key pairs and to import existing key pairs. You can also generate key pairs using the command line; for instructions, see Creating SSH Keys (Command Line).

  1. Launch the application. 
    # asperascp
  2. In the menu bar, click Tools > Manage Keys.
    Bring up the SSH Keys window.
  3. In the SSH Keys dialog, click Create a new public key to create a new key pair.
    Click [Add] in the SSH Keys window.

    The SSH Keys dialog is also available from the Connection tab in the Connection Manager. When you select Public Key for authentication, the Manage Keys button appears; clicking it opens the SSH Keys dialog.

  4. In the New SSH Key Pair window, enter the requested information.
    Field Description
    Identity Name your key pair, such as with your user name.
    Passphrase (Optional) Set a passphrase on your SSH key, which will be prompted for whenever it needs to use the key. If you don't want the user to be prompted for passphrase when logging in, leave this field blank.
    Type Select RSA (default) or ECDSA key.
    Access When sharing a connection with public key authentication, or a connection that is has a Hot Folder (on Windows machines), this option must be checked.
    Create Key Pair window.

  5. Click OK to create the key.

    The public key is displayed in the window and you can copy it to a clipboard or export it to a file that is easy to locate. The key is automatically saved as a file named id_key_type.pub in the following location (in the example below, the public key filename is id_rsa.pub):

    /home/username/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

  6. Distribute the public key.
    Provide the public key file to your server administrator so that it can be set up for your server connection.

    To copy or export the public key, select the key in the SSH Keys window, click Copy Public Key to Clipboard, and paste the string into an email to send to the server administrator, or click Export to File and save the public key as a file.

    Copy the public key.

    For information on how to install the public key on the server, see Setting Up a User's Public Key on the Server; however, the server may be installed on a different operating system from the client.

  7. Set up connections using public key authentication.
    Note: Your public key must be configured on the server before you can connect with it.
    1. Click Connections to open the Connection Manager.

      Bring up the Connection Manager.
    2. Select the connection for which you want to set up the key.
    3. In the Connection tab, select the Public Key Authentication option and select the key from the drop-down menu.
      Choose the key for the connection's authentication.
      Note: When you are sharing a connection with public key authentication (Share this connection with all users on this computer is selected), the SSH key should be shared as well. You can edit an existing key by opening the SSH Keys window. In the SSH Keys dialog, select a key and click the button to open the Edit SSH Key Pair dialog. Select Allow shared connections to use this key. Shared keys are moved to the Asperaetc directory.

Importing keys:

To import keys created outside the GUI, go to Tools > Manage Keys to open the SSH Keys dialog. Click the button in the upper-left corner of the dialog to open a file browser. You can import the key pair by selecting either the private key or the public key; this will copy both keys into the user's .ssh directory. You cannot import a key pair if a key pair with the same identity already exists in the .ssh directory.

Imported key pairs can be shared with other users. In the SSH Keys dialog, select a key and click the button to open the Edit SSH Key Pair dialog. Select Access to allow shared connections to use this key. Shared keys are moved to the Aspera etc directory.