{"id":4020,"date":"2026-04-15T17:46:38","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T21:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/2017\/01\/06\/how-to-generate-ssh-keys\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T10:28:42","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T14:28:42","slug":"how-to-generate-ssh-keys","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inmotionhosting.com\/support\/server\/ssh\/how-to-generate-ssh-keys\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Generate SSH Keys and Set Up SSH Key Authentication"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Secure Shell (SSH)<\/strong><\/a> access grants you command-line interface (CLI)<\/strong> access to your web server. SSH key authentication provides a secure, passwordless way to connect to your Linux VPS<\/a> or dedicated server<\/a>. It replaces vulnerable password-based logins with a cryptographic key pair: a private key that stays on your local machine and a public key that resides on the server. This method eliminates brute-force attacks, enables secure automation, and is the recommended standard for all InMotion Hosting VPS and dedicated servers with root or sudo access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This comprehensive guide combines the complete process of generating SSH keys<\/strong> across Windows, Linux, and macOS with full server-side configuration<\/strong> for key-based authentication. It is written for users with a Linux VPS (Ubuntu, AlmaLinux, Debian, or similar) running OpenSSH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How SSH Key Authentication Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you connect via SSH with key authentication, the server issues a cryptographic challenge. Your local machine uses the private key to respond, proving ownership without ever sending the key or a password over the network. If you protect the private key with a passphrase, that passphrase is only entered locally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key advantages over passwords:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n