Create an SSH key for Linux on Azure Stack Hub

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You can create an SSH (secure shell) key for your Linux machine on a Windows machine. Use the public key generated by the steps in this article for SSH authentication with VMs. If you are using a Windows machine install Ubuntu on Windows to get a terminal with utilities such as bash, ssh, git, apt, and many more. Run the ssh-keygen to create your key.

Open bash on Windows

  1. If you do not have the Windows Subsystem for Linux installed on your machine, install "Ubuntu on Windows.
    For more information about using the Windows Subsystem for Linux, see Windows Subsystem for Linux Documentation.

  2. Type Ubuntu in your toolbar and select Open.

Create a key with ssh-keygen

  1. Type the following command from your bash prompt:

    ssh-keygen -t rsa

    Bash displays the following prompt:

    Generating public/private rsa key pair.
Enter file in which to save the key (/home/username/.ssh/id_rsa):

  2. Type the filename and passphrase. Type the passphrase again.

    Bash displays the following:

    Generating public/private rsa key pair.
Enter file in which to save the key (/home/user/.ssh/id_rsa): key.txt
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):
Enter same passphrase again:
Your identification has been saved in key.txt.
Your public key has been saved in key.txt.pub.
The key fingerprint is:
SHA256:xanotrealoN6z1/KChqeah0CYVeyhL50/0rq37qgy6Ik username@machine
The key's randomart image is:
+---[RSA 2048]----+
|   o.     .      |
|  . o.   +       |
| + o .+ o o      |
|o o .  O +       |
| . o .o S .      |
|  o +. .         |
|.  o +..o. .     |
|= . ooB +o+ .    |
|E=..*X=*.. +.    |
+----[SHA256]-----+

  3. To view and the public ssh key:

    cat /home/<username>/<filename>

    Bash displays something like the following:

    ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1ycTHISISANEXAMPLEDITqEJRNrf6tXy9c0vKnMhiol1BFzHFV3
+suXk6NDeFcA9uI58VdD/CuvG826R+3OPnXutDdl2MLyH3DGG1fJAHObUWQxmDWluhSGb
JMHiw2L9Wnf9klG6+qWLuZgjB3TQdus8sZI8YdB4EOIuftpMQ1zkAJRAilY0p4QxHhKbU
IkvWqBNR+rd5FcQx33apIrB4LMkjd+RpDKOTuSL2qIM2+szhdL5Vp5Y6Z1Ut1EpOrkbg1
cVw7oW0eP3ROPdyNqnbi9m1UVzB99aoNXaepmYviwJGMzXsTkiMmi8Qq+F8/qy7i4Jxl0
aignia880qOtQrvNEvyhgZOM5oDhgE3IJ username@machine

  4. Copy the text ssh-rsa [...] up to username@machinename. Make sure the text doesn't include any carriage returns. You can use this text when creating your VM or Kubernetes cluster using the AKS engine.

  5. If you are on a Windows machine, you can access your Linux files using \\wsl$.

    1. Type \\wsl$ in your toolbar. The default window your distribution open.

    2. Navigate to: \\wsl$\Ubuntu\home\<username> and find the public and private key and save to a secure location.

Next steps