Create and Manage SSH Keys

Why SSH Keys?

SSH key authentication is more secure than passwords. A private key never leaves your machine; the server only stores the corresponding public key.

Generating a Key Pair

Linux / macOS

$ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]" -f ~/.ssh/lightyear_key

This creates:

• ~/.ssh/lightyear_key — private key (keep this secret)
• ~/.ssh/lightyear_key.pub — public key (upload this)

Windows (PowerShell)

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]" -f "$env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\lightyear_key"

Adding Your Key to LightYear

1. Copy your public key:
   >_BASH

   Copy

   $cat ~/.ssh/lightyear_key.pub

2. Go to Account → SSH Keys → Add SSH Key.
3. Paste the public key and give it a label.

Using the Key at Deploy Time

When deploying a server, select your saved key from the SSH Key dropdown. The key is injected into /root/.ssh/authorized_keys automatically.

Connecting

$ssh -i ~/.ssh/lightyear_key root@<SERVER_IP>

Rotating Keys

To rotate a key:

1. Generate a new key pair.
2. Add the new public key to your running server: echo "<new-pubkey>" >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
3. Update your LightYear account with the new key.
4. Remove the old key from authorized_keys.