Different SSH keys for different Droplets

October 9, 2014 2.8k views
pol.guixe
By:
pol.guixe

I want to use different SSH keys for different droplets.

I already have a droplet that uses an SSH key named as the "default": idrsa and idrsa.pub. So I want to use another key for another droplet.

I have tried creating a new SSH key pair by: 

ssh-keygen -t rsa

Enter file in which to save the key (/Users/myUser/.ssh/id_rsa):   dropletName_rsa

Then I have tried to pass the public key to the server by: 

cat ~/.ssh/dropletName_rsa.pub | ssh -p portNumber user@ipadress  "mkdir -p ~/.ssh && cat >>  ~/.ssh/authorized_keys"

The key is copied but when I tried to connect with SSH I am prompted with a password request.

If I copy the key with the "default" name: id_rsa.pub. The login without password works. But then I am using the same SSH key pair for two different droplets.

Which solution do you use to improve security?

Thanks,

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2 Answers
ryanpq MOD October 9, 2014

There are a couple options for setting up ssh keys on your droplets.

This tutorial will walk you through manually adding a key to your droplet.

You can also add keys to your account. With this option you can select which key to use when creating your droplet and it will be automatically configured for you when the droplet is created.

How To Set Up SSH Keys
by Etel Sverdlov
SSH keys provide a more secure way of logging into a virtual private server with SSH than using a password alone. With SSH keys, users can log into a server without a password. This tutorial explains how to generate, use, and upload an SSH Key Pair.
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imzablon October 19, 2018

I encountered the same problem 4 years later. It seems that the only key name that seems to work is id_rsa. If you name you'r key anything else you keep getting the above mentioned errors. Could it be a problem with the way DO checks for keys (only try match keys named a certain way)?

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