How to generate SSH keys on Linux

I recently switched from Windows 11 back to PopOS Linux and decided to regenerate my SSH keys. I used Generating a new SSH key and adding it to the ssh-agent as a reference for these steps.

Here are the steps I followed:

1.0 Generate the SSH Key #

I generated a new Ed25519 SSH key with a comment that includes my email:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "michael@michaelharley.net" -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_mbp_linux

2.0 Secure the Private SSH Key #

I set the permissions of the private key to read-only for the owner:

chmod 400 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_mbp_linux

Note: Using chmod 400 restricts the file to be readable only by you.

3.0 Start the ssh-agent and Add Your SSH Key #

First, ensure the ssh-agent is running:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Then add your SSH key to the agent:

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_mbp_linux

4.0 Add Public SSH Key to Services #

I added the new SSH key to the services I use.

4.1 VPS #

I want to use this new key to access the VPS that hosts my website:

ssh-copy-id cyberian@69.61.19.181

To verify, I SSH into the server and execute:

cat ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

4.2 Codeberg #

Following Adding an SSH key to your account, I added the new key to my Codeberg account.

Verification:

Test the connection to Codeberg:

ssh -T git@codeberg.org

You should see a welcome message if the setup is correct.

5.0 Conclusion #

That's it! These are the steps I used to regenerate my SSH keys and integrate them with my services on PopOS Linux. If you have any suggestions or if I missed anything, feel free to leave a comment below or reach out to me directly.