X-Git-Url: https://git.distorted.org.uk/u/mdw/putty/blobdiff_plain/114a251878bd8d087bbe468d20876db48841f8cf..05bea829b8868f5db4ac048897e944ed05dfc457:/doc/pubkey.but diff --git a/doc/pubkey.but b/doc/pubkey.but index 1a55ccb7..8b9a3f95 100644 --- a/doc/pubkey.but +++ b/doc/pubkey.but @@ -1,4 +1,4 @@ -\versionid $Id: pubkey.but,v 1.19 2002/11/01 21:50:35 jacob Exp $ +\versionid $Id: pubkey.but,v 1.22 2004/05/06 11:27:58 simon Exp $ \C{pubkey} Using public keys for SSH authentication @@ -150,6 +150,18 @@ of the key PuTTYgen will generate. Currently 1024 bits should be sufficient for most purposes. +Note that an RSA key is generated by finding two primes of half the +length requested, and then multiplying them together. For example, +if you ask PuTTYgen for a 1024-bit RSA key, it will create two +512-bit primes and multiply them. The result of this multiplication +might be 1024 bits long, or it might be only 1023; so you may not +get the exact length of key you asked for. This is perfectly normal, +and you do not need to worry. The lengths should only ever differ by +one, and there is no perceptible drop in security as a result. + +DSA keys are not created by multiplying primes together, so they +should always be exactly the length you asked for. + \S{puttygen-generate} The \q{Generate} button \cfg{winhelp-topic}{puttygen.generate} @@ -268,9 +280,10 @@ Press the \q{Save private key} button. PuTTYgen will put up a dialog box asking you where to save the file. Select a directory, type in a file name, and press \q{Save}. -This file is the one you will need to tell PuTTY to use for -authentication (see \k{config-ssh-privkey}) or tell Pageant to load -(see \k{pageant-mainwin-addkey}). +This file is in PuTTY's native format (\c{*.PPK}); it is the one you +will need to tell PuTTY to use for authentication (see +\k{config-ssh-privkey}) or tell Pageant to load (see +\k{pageant-mainwin-addkey}). \S{puttygen-savepub} Saving your public key to a disk file @@ -352,12 +365,12 @@ another. Using the \q{Import} command from the \q{Conversions} menu, PuTTYgen can load SSH2 private keys in OpenSSH's format and \cw{ssh.com}'s format. Once you have loaded one of these key types, you can then -save it back out as a PuTTY-format key so that you can use it with -PuTTY. The passphrase will be unchanged by this process (unless you -deliberately change it). You may want to change the key comment -before you save the key, since OpenSSH's SSH2 key format contains no -space for a comment and \cw{ssh.com}'s default comment format is -long and verbose. +save it back out as a PuTTY-format key (\c{*.PPK}) so that you can use +it with the PuTTY suite. The passphrase will be unchanged by this +process (unless you deliberately change it). You may want to change +the key comment before you save the key, since OpenSSH's SSH2 key +format contains no space for a comment and \cw{ssh.com}'s default +comment format is long and verbose. PuTTYgen can also export private keys in OpenSSH format and in \cw{ssh.com} format. To do so, select one of the \q{Export} options @@ -406,10 +419,10 @@ that server. You may also need to ensure that your home directory, your \c{.ssh} directory, and any other files involved (such as \c{authorized_keys}, \c{authorized_keys2} or \c{authorization}) are -not group-writable. You can typically do this by using a command -such as +not group-writable or world-writable. You can typically do this by +using a command such as -\c chmod g-w $HOME $HOME/.ssh $HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys +\c chmod go-w $HOME $HOME/.ssh $HOME/.ssh/authorized_keys Your server should now be configured to accept authentication using your private key. Now you need to configure PuTTY to \e{attempt}