I want to use different SSH keys for different droplets.
I already have a droplet that uses an SSH key named as the “default”: id_rsa and id_rsa.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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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)?
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.