SSH keys

Learn SSH key management.

How SSH keys work

SSH allows you to authenticate with remote Git servers using a key pair instead of a password. The private key stays secret on your computer, while the public key is added to services such as GitHub.

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "developer@example.com"

Ed25519 is a modern algorithm used to generate SSH keys. You should never share your private key.

Managing keys with SSH agent

SSH agent manages private keys in memory and reduces the need to enter the key passphrase for every connection. You can use the ssh-add command to add your key to the agent.

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
ssh-add -l

The ssh-add -l command lists keys managed by the agent. It is also important to keep key file permissions restricted.

Exercise Add an SSH key to the agent

Start the SSH agent, add the ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 private key to the agent, and list the managed keys. Print a completion message at the end of the commands.

Show example solution

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
ssh-add -l
echo "SSH anahtar yönetimi tamamlandı."

Test yourself

Which key in an SSH key pair can be shared and added to the server?
- GPG secret key
- Session password
- Public key
- Private key
Show answer

Public key — The public key is added to the server. The private key must remain protected on the user's device.

Choose the SSH key algorithm

ssh-keygen -t ____ -C "developer@example.com"

Show answer

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "developer@example.com"

SSH key management

Private key

Key kept secret on the device
Public key

Key added to the remote service
SSH agent

Manages private keys during a session
Passphrase

Password protecting a private key

Next lesson: Disaster recovery

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