Linux

23.4    Authentication with Keys

The operation of an SSH server is more secure if authentication can only be carried out using digital keys instead of passwords. For this purpose, you first need a local key pair consisting of a private and a public key file. You can create these two files by running ssh-keygen. If the command detects an already existing key, it warns you against overwriting it by mistake. ssh-keygen offers to encrypt the key itself by means of a passphrase (a password). For security reasons, this is recommended. If your private key falls into the wrong hands, the thief cannot do anything with the key without a password.

If you simply answer the passphrase question by pressing (Enter) or by typing “empty”, ssh-keygen will forgo ...