PuTTYgen is a powerful tool that generates secure keys for SSH authentication. It is a component of PuTTY, an open-source SSH and telnet client. PuTTYgen is used to generate public and private key pairs for use with SSH authentication. This guide will walk you through the steps of using PuTTYgen to generate a secure key pair.

Step 1: Download and install PuTTY

First, you need to download and install PuTTY. PuTTY is available for free on the official website. Once you have installed PuTTY, you will have access to PuTTYgen which is a component of PuTTY.

Step 2: Generate a key pair

Now that you have PuTTYgen installed, you can generate a key pair. To do this, launch PuTTYgen and select the type of key you want to generate. You can generate an RSA, DSA, or ECDSA key. The default is RSA, so you can leave this setting as-is.

Step 3: Set the key size

Next, you need to set the key size. The recommended key size is 2048 bits, but you can generate keys up to 8192 bits. The larger the key size, the stronger the encryption.

Step 4: Generate the key

Once you have chosen the type and size of your key, click the “Generate” button to generate the key. PuTTYgen will generate a random key and display it in the window.

Step 5: Save the key

You can save your key by clicking the “Save private key” button. This will save the private key in a .ppk file. You should also save the public key, which you can do by clicking the “Save public key” button.

Step 6: Protect the key.

You should protect your key with a passphrase. To do this, enter your desired passphrase in the “Key passphrase” and “Confirm passphrase” fields. Then, click the “OK” button.

Step 7: Use the key.

Once you have generated and saved your key, you can use it for SSH authentication. To do this, you need to upload the public key to the server you are connecting to.

By following these steps, you can use PuTTYgen to generate secure keys for SSH authentication. PuTTYgen is a powerful and easy-to-use tool for generating secure keys.