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SSH Key Setup

One-click SSH key setup scripts — pick your device, choose your algorithm, and get a ready-to-run script.

Quick Presets

Device / OS

macOS

Linux

Windows

Algorithm

Options

Used as -C flag in ssh-keygen

Leave empty for default (~/.ssh/id_ed25519)

Remote Server (optional)

Adds ssh-copy-id and connection test steps

5 Steps

1Generate SSH key
$ ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

You'll be prompted to enter a passphrase

2Set permissions
$ chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 && chmod 644 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
3Start ssh-agent and add key to Keychain
$ eval "$(ssh-agent -s)" && ssh-add --apple-use-keychain ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Persists across reboots via macOS Keychain

4Copy public key to clipboard
$ pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
5Verify public key
$ cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Algorithm Reference

AlgorithmKey SizeSecurityCompat
Ed25519256-bitExcellentOpenSSH 6.5+
RSA2048–4096Good (4096)Universal
ECDSA256–521GoodOpenSSH 5.7+

What are SSH keys?

SSH keys are a pair of cryptographic keys — one public, one private — used to authenticate with remote servers without typing a password. Key-based authentication is more secure than passwords and is the standard method for accessing cloud servers, Git hosting services, and CI/CD pipelines.

How to use this tool

Select your operating system, choose an algorithm (Ed25519 is recommended for most users), and configure optional settings like a custom filename or passphrase. The tool generates a complete script that creates the key pair, starts the SSH agent, and optionally deploys the public key to a remote server.

Why automate SSH key setup?

Setting up SSH keys involves multiple steps — generating the pair, setting correct file permissions, configuring the agent, and copying the public key to the server. A single generated script handles all of these steps correctly, reducing the chance of misconfigured permissions or forgotten steps.