Create SSH keys | Compute Engine Documentation

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This document describes how to create an SSH key pair for Compute Enginevirtual machine (VM) instances.

Before you begin

If you haven't already, set up authentication. Authentication is the process by which your identity is verified for access to Google Cloud services and APIs. To run code or samples from a local development environment, you can authenticate to Compute Engine as follows.

Select the tab for how you plan to use the samples on this page:
Console

When you use the Google Cloud console to access Google Cloud services and APIs, you don't need to set up authentication.
gcloud
1. Install the Google Cloud CLI, then initialize it by running the following command:
```
gcloud init
```
2. Set a default region and zone.
REST

To use the REST API samples on this page in a local development environment, you use the credentials you provide to the gcloud CLI.

Create an SSH key pair

If you connect to VMs using the Google Cloud console or theGoogle Cloud CLI, Compute Engine creates SSH keys on your behalf. Formore information on how Compute Engine configures and stores keys, seeAbout SSH connections.

If you connect to VMs using third party tools or OpenSSH, you need toadd a key to your VM before you can connect. If you don't have an SSH key,you must create one. VMs accept the key formats listed in the sshd_configfile.

Linux and macOS

On Linux and macOS workstations, use thessh-keygen utility to create a new SSH key pair. The following example creates an RSA key pair.

Open a terminal and use the ssh-keygen command with the -C flag tocreate a new SSH key pair.

ssh-keygen -t rsa -f ~/.ssh/KEY_FILENAME -C USERNAME -b 2048

Replace the following:

KEY_FILENAME: the name for your SSH key file.
For example, a filename of my-ssh-key generates a private key file namedmy-ssh-key and a public key file named my-ssh-key.pub.
USERNAME: your username on the VM. For example,cloudysanfrancisco, or cloudysanfrancisco_gmail_com.
For Linux VMs, the USERNAME can't be root,unless you configure your VM to allow root login. For more information,see Connect to VMs as the root user.
For Windows VMs that use Active Directory (AD), the username must beprepended with the AD domain, in the format ofDOMAIN\. For example, the usercloudysanfrancisco within the ad.example.com AD has aUSERNAME of example\cloudysanfrancisco.

ssh-keygen saves your private key file to~/.ssh/KEY_FILENAME and your public key file to~/.ssh/KEY_FILENAME.pub.

A public key for the user cloudysanfrancisco looks similar to thefollowing:

ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQDAu5kKQCPF... cloudysanfrancisco

Windows 10 or later

On workstations with Windows version 10 or later, use thessh-keygen utility to create a new SSH key pair. The following example creates an RSA key pair.

Open Command Prompt and use the ssh-keygen command with the -C flag tocreate a new SSH key pair.

ssh-keygen -t rsa -f C:\Users\WINDOWS_USER\.ssh\KEY_FILENAME -C USERNAME -b 2048

Replace the following:

WINDOWS_USER: your username on the Windowsmachine.
See Also
How do I generate my own SSH key pair?
KEY_FILENAME: the name for your SSH key file.
For example, a filename of my-ssh-key generates a private key file namedmy-ssh-key and a public key file named my-ssh-key.pub.
USERNAME: your username on the VM. For example,cloudysanfrancisco, or cloudysanfrancisco_gmail_com.
For Linux VMs, the USERNAME can't be root,unless you configure your VM to allow root login. For more information,see Connect to VMs as the root user.
For Windows VMs that use Active Directory (AD), the username must beprepended with the AD domain, in the format ofDOMAIN\. For example, the usercloudysanfrancisco within the ad.example.com AD has aUSERNAME of example\cloudysanfrancisco.

ssh-keygen saves your private key file toC:\Users\WINDOWS_USER\.ssh\KEY_FILENAMEand your public key file toC:\Users\WINDOWS_USER\.ssh\KEY_FILENAME.pub.

A public key for the user cloudysanfrancisco looks similar to thefollowing:

ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQDAu5kKQCPF... cloudysanfrancisco

Windows 8 or earlier

On workstations with Windows version 8 or earlier, use the PuTTYgen tool tocreate a new SSH key pair. The following example creates an RSA key pair.

Download puttygen.exe if you haven't already.
Open PuTTYgen.
Under Parameters specify the following:
- Type of key to generate: RSA
- Number of bits in a generated key: 2048 or more
Click Generate and follow the on-screen instructions.
The tool displays the public key value.
In the Key comment section, replace the pre-populated text with yourusername. For example, cloudysanfrancisco, orcloudysanfrancisco_gmail_com.
For Linux VMs, the Key comment can't be root, unless you configureyour VM to allow root login. For more information,see Connect to VMs as the root user.
For Windows VMs that use Active Directory (AD), the Key comment mustbe prepended with the AD domain, in the format ofDOMAIN\. For example, the usercloudysanfrancisco within the ad.example.com AD has a Key commentof example\cloudysanfrancisco.
Optional: enter a Key passphrase to password-protect your key.
Click Save private key to choose a location to save the private keyto.
PuTTYgen writes the private key to a file with a .ppk extension.
Click Save public key to choose a location to save your public keyto. Keep the PuTTYgen window open.
Copy the text from the Public key for pasting into OpenSSHauthorized_keys file field.

Open the public key file. The public key has a format similar to thefollowing:

---- BEGIN SSH2 PUBLIC KEY ----Comment: "USERNAME"KEY_VALUE---- END SSH2 PUBLIC KEY ----

Replace the entire contents of the public key file with the value youcopied from the Public key for pasting into OpenSSH authorized_keysfile field, so that your public key file matches the following format:
```
KEY_VALUE USERNAME
```

A public key for the user cloudysanfrancisco looks similar to thefollowing:

ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQDAu5kKQCPF... cloudysanfrancisco

What's next?

Learn how to Add SSH keys to VMs
Learn About SSH connections work onCompute Engine

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Last updated 2024-04-16 UTC.

Create SSH keys | Compute Engine Documentation | Google Cloud (2024)

Before you begin

Console

gcloud

REST

Create an SSH key pair

Linux and macOS

Windows 10 or later

Windows 8 or earlier

What's next?