It’s a secure protocol used to safely connect to remote systems over a network (typically used by developers to access servers, manage files, or interact with platforms like GitHub)
How SSH works (shortly)
Think of SSH like a secure tunnel between your computer and another system. Instead of sending your username/password every time, SSH uses key for authentication.
Generate an SSH key pair
- Private Key: Stored secretly on computer
- Public Key: Shared with platform server
Remote Platform need public key
- It stores it securely in that remote account
When try to connect to remote via SSH
- Remote asks: Do you have the matching private key?
- My computer proves it without sending the private key
- if it matches remote lets you in — no password needed
Generate SSH Key (Each command will worked perfectly for linux/macOS based terminal)
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "email here"
Start the SSH agent
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
Add private key to SSH Agent
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
Print SSH key
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub (see public key)
Delete the compromised SSH key (If needed)
rm -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519*
Conclusion
SSH is an essential tool for anyone working with remote systems—whether you're a developer, system administrator, or DevOps engineer. By understanding how SSH works and adopting best practices like using key-based authentication and managing your configurations securely, you can greatly enhance the safety and efficiency of your workflow. Mastering SSH not only improves your command-line skills but also empowers you to manage servers and services with confidence. So start exploring, stay secure, and take full control of your remote environments.
Top comments (1)
Helpful thank you