Managing SSH keys

SSH keys are a generated pair of long and practically impossible-to-break codes that allow automated user authentication. SSH key pairs work in two halves; the public key which acts as a lock, and the private key which can be used to open the lock. The public key can be safely passed to your Cloud Servers while the private key should be kept securely stored on your own computer.

The SSH keys feature at your UpCloud Control Panel provides easy public key management that allows you to quickly apply the authentication method to any new Cloud Server.

Adding keys

To add a new key, go to Account > SSH keys in the UpCloud Control Panel and click Add new. This opens the Add an SSH key dialog. Enter a name for the key and paste your public key, in OpenSSH format, into the Public SSH key field.

Click Save to add the key.

Each key you add appears in the SSH keys list, and you can then add it to Cloud Servers at deployment.

To rename or change a key, click the delete icon next to it to remove it, then add it again as above.

Choosing a login method

When you deploy a Cloud Server, the Login Method section shows the options for the operating system you selected:

• Linux: SSH keys, the recommended method. Some older Linux templates also offer a one-time password for the root user, which is generated automatically and sent to you during deployment. Where password login isn't available, the option is grayed out with the message "Password login is not supported in the selected operating system version."
• Windows: a password for the Administrator user, generated automatically and sent to you during deployment. SSH keys are not supported for Windows.

With SSH keys selected, tick the keys you want to use under Select SSH keys for this server.

To add a key without leaving the deploy page, click Add new. This opens the same Add an SSH key dialog.

The SSH keys selected at deployment are added to the default root account and allow you to harden the server security right from the get-go. If you wish to add SSH keys to other user accounts, check out our Initialization script feature to automatically create new usernames, update the system, and perform other setup tasks at the first boot-up.

If you have not generated SSH key pairs before, you can find additional instructions for how to use SSH keys on your Cloud Server about adding SSH keys after deployment.