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| 2025-05-28 | 2025-05-28 | ||
| ✅ Simplified Language: Rewrote all sections using easier and more beginner-friendly wording to help new users understand SSH keys without needing deep technical knowledge. 📌 Expanded Explanations: Added deeper and clearer explanations to each key (user/private/public, host/private/public), including: Why each key exists What each one is used for Who needs to care about it (user or server admin) 🧠 Step-by-Step Logic: Broke down the cryptography and connection process step by step, explaining how keys work together in SSH and SFTP. 🔒 Security Tips: Added practical tips about securing private keys and verifying server identity safely. 🧩 Maintained Original Structure: Kept the original BBCode format and all section headings (======, =====) intact — no content removed. 📎 Extra Context Links: Preserved all original wiki-style reference links and learning resources. ✅ New Final Summary Section: Added a quick bullet-point summary at the end to help reinforce and review the main ideas. (103.57.224.183) (hidden) (untrusted) | Rewrote the entire article in simpler, beginner-friendly language. Added detailed explanations to help new users understand SSH key pairs, what each key does, and who uses them. Kept the original structure and content but expanded explanations, added security tips, and clarified technical terms using easy words. (103.57.224.183) (hidden) (untrusted) | ||
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| - | ====== Understanding SSH Key Pairs | + | ====== Understanding SSH Key Pairs ====== |
| - | ====== | + | |
| When you connect to a server using SSH or SFTP (for example, using Git or WinSCP), there are *four* important keys being used. These are called “key pairs” — which means two keys that work together. | When you connect to a server using SSH or SFTP (for example, using Git or WinSCP), there are *four* important keys being used. These are called “key pairs” — which means two keys that work together. | ||
| This guide explains each of these keys in simple terms and helps you understand which ones you, as a user, need to know about. | This guide explains each of these keys in simple terms and helps you understand which ones you, as a user, need to know about. | ||
| - | |||
| - | ----- | ||
| ==== 🔐 What is Public Key Cryptography? ==== | ==== 🔐 What is Public Key Cryptography? ==== | ||
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| Let’s look at each of the four keys. | Let’s look at each of the four keys. | ||
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| - | ----- | ||
| ===== 🧍♂️ User Private Key ===== | ===== 🧍♂️ User Private Key ===== | ||
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| 🔒 **Remember**: Never share your private key. Keep it safe and protected. | 🔒 **Remember**: Never share your private key. Keep it safe and protected. | ||
| - | ----- | ||
| ===== 📢 User Public Key ===== | ===== 📢 User Public Key ===== | ||
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| >> Want to learn more? Read about [[public_key|public key authentication]] and how to [[guide_public_key|set it up properly]]. | >> Want to learn more? Read about [[public_key|public key authentication]] and how to [[guide_public_key|set it up properly]]. | ||
| - | ----- | ||
| ===== 🖥️ Host Private Key ===== | ===== 🖥️ Host Private Key ===== | ||
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| The server uses it to prove its identity to your computer, just like you use your private key to prove your identity to the server. | The server uses it to prove its identity to your computer, just like you use your private key to prove your identity to the server. | ||
| - | ----- | ||
| ===== 🌐 Host Public Key ===== | ===== 🌐 Host Public Key ===== | ||
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| You can read more about this here: [[faq_hostkey|Host key FAQs]] and how to [[ssh_verifying_the_host_key|verify and accept a server key]]. | You can read more about this here: [[faq_hostkey|Host key FAQs]] and how to [[ssh_verifying_the_host_key|verify and accept a server key]]. | ||
| - | ----- | ||
| - | ==== ✅ Summary (in simple points) | + | ===== ✅ Summary (in simple points) ===== |
| - | ==== | + | |
| - SSH uses **two key pairs**: one for you (the user), and one for the server. | - SSH uses **two key pairs**: one for you (the user), and one for the server. | ||