Servers

How to manage SSH keys

~3 min read

SSH key authentication is more secure than password login. The SSH Keys page lets you add public keys to your server so you (or a CI/CD system) can connect without a password.

Steps

  1. 1

    Open SSH Keys

    Open your server and click "SSH Keys" in the sidebar.

  2. 2

    Generate a key pair (if you don't have one)

    On your local machine, open a terminal and run the keygen command below. Accept the default path and set a passphrase for additional security.

    ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your@email.com"
  3. 3

    Copy your public key

    Copy the contents of your public key file. On Mac/Linux use the command below, then paste the output into DeployFly.

    cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
  4. 4

    Add the key

    In DeployFly, click "Add SSH Key". Enter a label (e.g. "My MacBook") and paste the public key into the text area. Click "Add Key".

  5. 5

    Test passwordless login

    Open a terminal and SSH into your server using the key. If it connects without prompting for a password, the key was added correctly.

    ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 root@YOUR_SERVER_IP
  6. 6

    Revoke a key

    Click the trash icon next to any key to remove it. The key is removed from ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on the server immediately.

Watch out

  • Never share your private key file. Only the public key (ending in .pub) goes into DeployFly or any server.
  • Removing a key takes effect immediately. If you remove the only key and have no password access, you may be locked out.

Tips

  • Use ed25519 keys — they are shorter, faster, and more secure than RSA-2048.
  • Add your CI/CD system's public key so pipelines can deploy code via SSH without storing passwords.
  • Label keys clearly (e.g. "GitHub Actions", "Office PC") so you can identify and revoke them easily.

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