Windows 10 OpenSSH Equivalent of ssh-copy-id (2024)

At the moment, Windows 10’s implementation of the OpenSSH client does not have the ssh-copy-id command available. However, a PowerShell one-line command can mimic the ssh-copy-id command and allow you to copy an SSH public key generated by the ssh-keygen command to a remote Linux device for passwordless login.

Generate an SSH Key

Note: If you have already generated an SSH keypair that you would like to use, skip this section and proceed to the Copy SSH Key to Remote Linux Device section.

First, open a new PowerShell window (not a Command Prompt window!) and generate a new SSH keypair with the ssh-keygen command. By default, the public and private keys will be placed in the %USERPROFILE%/.ssh/ directory. The public key file we are interested in is named id_rsa.pub.

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PS C:\Users\Christopher> ssh-keygenGenerating public/private rsa key pair.Enter file in which to save the key (C:\Users\Christopher/.ssh/id_rsa):Created directory 'C:\Users\Christopher/.ssh'.Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):Enter same passphrase again:Your identification has been saved in C:\Users\Christopher/.ssh/id_rsa.Your public key has been saved in C:\Users\Christopher/.ssh/id_rsa.pub.The key fingerprint is:SHA256:/mjkrJOQbRzCAwlSPYVBNcuxntm/Ms5/MMC15dCRrMc [emailprotected]The key's randomart image is:+---[RSA 2048]----+|oo.+o== o.o ||. o +. = o = || o .+. . B || +..+o o E || *+.S. . || o +...o || o =. .o || o.*o .. || .=+++. |+----[SHA256]-----+PS C:\Users\Christopher>

Copy SSH Key to Remote Linux Device

Next, we use the below PowerShell one-line command to copy the contents of the id_rsa.pub public key to a remote Linux device. Replace the {IP-ADDRESS-OR-FQDN} with the IP address or FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) of the remote Linux device you would like to copy the public key to.

1
type $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_rsa.pub | ssh {IP-ADDRESS-OR-FQDN} "cat >> .ssh/authorized_keys"

An example of this command is shown below. In this example, I am copying the contents of the id_rsa.pub public key to a remote Linux device at IP address 192.168.30.31.

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PS C:\Users\Christopher> type $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_rsa.pub | ssh 192.168.30.31 "cat >> .ssh/authorized_keys"The authenticity of host '192.168.30.31 (192.168.30.31)' can't be established.ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:mTD0/WNCVZ/p/PFSkNDmLJtzIGb5eD7qj6erOQkomjM.Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yesWarning: Permanently added '192.168.30.31' (ECDSA) to the list of known hosts.[emailprotected]'s password:PS C:\Users\Christopher>

Test Passwordless SSH Connectivity to Remote Linux Device

Finally, verify that you can SSH to the remote Linux device with the ssh command. An example to a remote Linux device at IP address 192.168.30.31 is shown below. Note how a password did not need to be entered in order for us to establish SSH connectivity to the remote Linux device.

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PS C:\Users\Christopher> ssh 192.168.30.31Last login: Sat May 23 12:44:51 2020 from 192.168.10.139[[emailprotected] ~]$ whochristopher pts/0 2020-05-24 19:35 (192.168.10.113)

References

The instructions for this blog post were heavily inspired by Scott Hanselman’s blog post on the subject.

This post is licensed under CC BY 4.0 by the author.

Windows 10 OpenSSH Equivalent of ssh-copy-id (2024)

FAQs

How to use ssh-copy-ID in Windows? ›

Generate ssh key files using the command ssh-key-gen on your client. Copy id_rsa. pub file to windows server at location C:\ProgramData\ssh\administrators_authorized_keys . Now you should be able to connect to your windows server from your client using ssh without password.

What is the Windows equivalent for ssh? ›

OpenSSH is the open-source version of the Secure Shell (SSH) tools used by administrators of Linux and other non-Windows for cross-platform management of remote systems. OpenSSH has been added to Windows (as of autumn 2018), and is included in Windows Server and Windows client.

How to copy public key for ssh in Windows? ›

Procedure
  1. In a terminal window, enter the following command: ssh-keygen -t rsa.
  2. Follow the prompts to generate the key. You must provide a file name and a passphrase. A public and a private key are generated. ...
  3. Copy the public key to each node computer, by using the following command: ssh-copy-id username @ node_name.

Does Windows 10 have OpenSSH? ›

The latest builds of Windows 10 and Windows 11 include a built-in SSH server and client that are based on OpenSSH, a connectivity tool for remote sign-in that uses the SSH protocol.

Does Windows have SSH-keygen? ›

For Windows 10 & 11

In the command prompt, use the ssh-keygen command: By default, the system will save the keys to [your home directory]/. ssh/id_rsa. Unless you are an expert you should use the default option and press Enter.

How to copy SSH key in Windows 10? ›

  1. open command prompt (cmd)
  2. enter ssh-keygen and press enter.
  3. press enter to all settings. now your key is saved in c:\Users\. ssh\id_rsa. pub.
  4. Open your git client and set it to use open SSH.
Aug 4, 2015

How do I SSH in Windows without PuTTY? ›

2. Use Windows PowerShell for SSH
  1. Press WIN + I to open Settings.
  2. Open Apps > Apps & features.
  3. Click Optional features.
  4. Click +Add a feature.
  5. Browse the list to find OpenSSH Client.
  6. Select and click Install.
  7. When this has completed reboot Windows 10.
Jun 12, 2020

Is there anything better than SSH? ›

Mosh is a modern replacement for SSH that has much better support for slow and unstable networks such as those typically found over mobile networks. Its main advantage for Browsh is that it only sends screen diffs, therefore it only uses bandwidth when something on the screen changes.

What is the alternative for SSH in PowerShell? ›

The best alternative is OpenSSH, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like PowerShell Server are Bitvise SSH Server (WinSSHD), MobaSSH, Syncplify.me Server! and Buru SFTP Server for Windows.

How do I manually copy a SSH key? ›

Manually Copy Your Public Key
  1. Begin by copying the contents of your public SSH key on your local computer. ...
  2. Once you have copied that text, use the command ssh to add the key. ...
  3. Create the ~/.ssh directory and authorized_keys file if they don't already exist: mkdir -p ~/.ssh && touch ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.
Jan 6, 2023

What is ssh copy ID command? ›

ssh-copy-id installs an SSH key on a server as an authorized key. Its purpose is to provide access without requiring a password for each login. This facilitates automated, passwordless logins and single sign-on using the SSH protocol. The ssh-copy-id tool is part of OpenSSH.

Where is SSH keygen in Windows? ›

Your public SSH key is located by default at C:\Users\<username>\. ssh\id_rsa. pub and is perfectly safe to be shared with anyone. Your private SSH key will be located by default at C:\Users\<username>\.

How to enable OpenSSH in Windows 10? ›

Install OpenSSH for Windows
  1. Open Settings, select Apps, then select Optional Features.
  2. Scan the list to see if the OpenSSH is already installed. ...
  3. Once setup completes, return to Apps and Optional Features and confirm OpenSSH is listed.
  4. Open the Services desktop app. ...
  5. In the details pane, double-click OpenSSH SSH Server.
Jan 11, 2023

What is the default SSH client in Windows 10? ›

The SSH client is installed by default on Windows Server 2019, Windows 10 1809 and newer builds.
...
If not (State: Not Present), you can install it using:
  • The PowerShell command: Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name OpenSSH. ...
  • With DISM: dism /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName:OpenSSH.
Sep 10, 2020

What is the difference between OpenSSH and SSH? ›

SSH itself is the definition of the protocol. It's just words saying what SSH is. Think of it as the receipt. OpenSSH is one implementation of that protocol, a software that follows the definition of what SSH is and implements it in a software.

Where is SSH config on Windows 10? ›

The system-wide configuration file at %programdata%\ssh\ssh_config.

How to generate SSH key Windows PowerShell? ›

Index
  1. Step 1: Check if ssh is installed.
  2. Step 2: Create Your SSH Key Pair.
  3. Step 3: Copy Your Public Key To Your Clipboard.
  4. Step 4: Add Your Public Key To Your GridPane Settings.
  5. Step 5: Push Your Public Key To Your Server.
  6. Step 6: Connect To Your Server.
Mar 4, 2020

How do I clone a SSH key? ›

To perform a GitHub clone with SSH keys in Git, simply follow these steps:
  1. Create an SSH keypair on your Windows or Linux OS.
  2. Copy the value of the public SSH key to your GitHub account.
  3. Obtain the GitHub SSH URL for the repository to be cloned.
  4. Using Git, clone from GitHub with the SSH URL.
Jan 11, 2022

How to copy SSH key without password? ›

You can easily create your SSH key pairs using the ssh-keygen command. Once ssh generates the keys, copy your public key to the remote server. This will ensure you don't need to type your SSH password on subsequent logins.

What format does ssh-keygen OpenSSH use? ›

The supported key formats are: “RFC4716” (RFC 4716/SSH2 public or private key), “PKCS8” (PKCS8 public or private key) or “PEM” (PEM public key). By default OpenSSH will write newly-generated private keys in its own format, but when converting public keys for export the default format is “RFC4716”.

Is there an alternative to PuTTY for Windows? ›

Bitvise SSH Client is another free Windows application that comes in both an installable and portable version. This PuTTY alternative supports all Windows desktop and server versions and offers GUI and command-line functionality. Key features: Single-click remote desktop forwarding.

Is OpenSSH better than PuTTY? ›

The SSH option is the better choice because it includes user authentication and encryption. Secure file transfer functions follow the SCP and SFTP methods.

Which is better OpenSSH or PuTTY? ›

OpenSSH is the de facto standard implementation of the SSH protocol. If PuTTY and OpenSSH differ, PuTTY is the one that's incompatible. If you generate a key with OpenSSH using ssh-keygen with the default options, it will work with virtually every server out there.

What is a disadvantage to using SSH? ›

Drawbacks to using SSH

However, all security implementations have vulnerabilities. SSH supports tunneling, used for example by administrators to tunnel into a network from remote locations. However, unrestricted outbound SSH transactions may result in security vulnerabilities.

Do hackers use SSH? ›

SSH does more than enable remote login sessions, however, especially for security professionals and network engineers. SSH can secure pipelines using public key cryptography to enable any kind of network traffic -- but SSH is also an important cybersecurity tool, used both by security professionals and hackers.

Can SSH be exploited? ›

SSH session hijacking and unauthorized access: Attackers can hijack a user's SSH session by exploiting the trusted communication established between multiple systems via public key authentication in an SSH session. It can occur either by hijacking the SSH agent or by gaining unauthorized access to the agent's socket.

What is the best PowerShell alternative for Windows? ›

The best alternative is PuTTY, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like PowerShell are ConEmu, cmder, Tabby Terminal and Cygwin. PowerShell alternatives are mainly Terminal Emulators but may also be Shells or SSH Clients.

What is the best SSH? ›

The Best SSH Client Managers
  1. Solar PuTTY (FREE TRIAL) Solar PuTTY from SolarWinds is a free, open-source, effective; hence and most used software in organizations that helps connect any server or device in your network. ...
  2. MobaXterm. ...
  3. mRemoteNG. ...
  4. PuTTY. ...
  5. SecureCRT. ...
  6. KiTTY. ...
  7. Bitvise. ...
  8. SmarTTY.
Aug 5, 2022

Is PuTTY the best SSH client? ›

KiTTY Α fork edition of PuTTY, which is considered the best SSH and Telnet client in the world. It is designed for Windows and has all the features of the original PuTTY application.

Can you copy paste into SSH? ›

use the mouse to open the context menu and click the Edit > Paste option. hit Ctrl + V on the keyboard. use the keyboard to access the context menu's Edit > Paste option: Alt + Space , then E , then P. if the "Use Ctrl+Shift+C/V as Copy/Paste" option is activated, hitting Ctrl + Shift + V on the keyboard.

What do I do if I lost my SSH key? ›

If you lose your SSH key passphrase, there's no way to recover it. You'll need to generate a brand new SSH keypair or switch to HTTPS cloning so you can use a personal access token instead. If you lose your SSH key passphrase, there's no way to recover it.

What is the default file for SSH-copy-ID? ›

ssh-copy-id is a useful tool for SSH connections to a remote host without using a password. Basically, it copies the SSH key into the remote host's authorized_keys file, which is by default in the $HOME/. ssh directory.

What is the default key for SSH-copy-ID? ›

By default, ssh-copy-id calls ssh-add -L to list the keys that you have registered in the SSH agent. ssh-add -L outputs a list of public keys for which you have the private key in the agent.

How do I find my SSH ID? ›

Checking for existing SSH keys
  1. Open Terminal .
  2. Enter ls -al ~/.ssh to see if existing SSH keys are present. $ ls -al ~/.ssh # Lists the files in your .ssh directory, if they exist.
  3. Check the directory listing to see if you already have a public SSH key. ...
  4. Either generate a new SSH key or upload an existing key.

How to install SSH key on Windows? ›

To generate an SSH key with PuTTYgen, follow these steps:
  1. Open the PuTTYgen program.
  2. For Type of key to generate, select SSH-2 RSA.
  3. Click the Generate button.
  4. Move your mouse in the area below the progress bar. ...
  5. Type a passphrase in the Key passphrase field. ...
  6. Click the Save private key button to save the private key.
Nov 9, 2022

What is OpenSSH public key format? ›

An SSH2 public key in OpenSSH format will start with "ssh-rsa". The idea behind all of this is that once you have keys on the remote server and your local host, access will be simpler since the server will only grant access to someone who has the matching private key.

How does SSH-copy-ID work? ›

ssh-copy-id installs an SSH key on a server as an authorized key. Its purpose is to provide access without requiring a password for each login. This facilitates automated, passwordless logins and single sign-on using the SSH protocol. The ssh-copy-id tool is part of OpenSSH.

What does SSH-copy-ID command copies? ›

ssh-copy-id is a useful tool for SSH connections to a remote host without using a password. Basically, it copies the SSH key into the remote host's authorized_keys file, which is by default in the $HOME/. ssh directory.

How do I clone using SSH? ›

To perform a GitHub clone with SSH keys in Git, simply follow these steps:
  1. Create an SSH keypair on your Windows or Linux OS.
  2. Copy the value of the public SSH key to your GitHub account.
  3. Obtain the GitHub SSH URL for the repository to be cloned.
  4. Using Git, clone from GitHub with the SSH URL.
Jan 11, 2022

How do I copy and paste using SSH? ›

hit Ctrl + V on the keyboard. use the keyboard to access the context menu's Edit > Paste option: Alt + Space , then E , then P. if the "Use Ctrl+Shift+C/V as Copy/Paste" option is activated, hitting Ctrl + Shift + V on the keyboard.

How do I manually copy SSH keys to remote server? ›

Manually Copy the SSH Key with PuTTY

You are prompted to enter a login name and password for the remote server. Open the authorized_keys file with the text editor of your choice ( nano , for example). Then, paste the contents of your public key that you copied in step one on a new line at the end of the file.

Is SSH-copy-ID secure? ›

You can also specify a alternate user or identity file if you need to, please man ssh-copy-id for more information within your terminal. This command will ensure that not only it copies your key but secures the file so that no one can tamper and add additional authorized keys to the file on the remote host.

How do I find my SSH public key Windows 10? ›

The public part of the key is saved in the id_rsa. pub file, while the private part is saved in the id_rsa file. Both files can be accessed from this location using Explorer: C:\Users\[your user name]\. ssh .

How to remotely copy files over SSH without entering your password? ›

How to Remotely Copy Files Over SSH Without Entering Your Password? Print
  1. scp [options] original_file destination_file. ...
  2. username@serverIP Address:path/to/file. ...
  3. scp –P 22 /home/test.txt vpshost@serverIP Address:/home/user/test.txt. ...
  4. /home/user/ : Destination where we will move the file on the remote server. ...
  5. ssh-keygen.

Can you use SSH to copy files? ›

Often you will need to move one or more files/folders or copy them to a different location. You can do so using an SSH connection. The commands which you would need to use are mv (short from move) and cp (short from copy).

How do I copy a SSH key to all servers? ›

Copying Public Keys to Remote Servers
  1. Use the ssh-copy-id command to append the public key in the local ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub file to the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys file on the remote system, for example: Copy. ssh-copy-id remote_user@host.
  2. When prompted, enter your password for the remote system.
Apr 13, 2022

Should you copy SSH keys? ›

Using SSH keys is a best practice when connecting to other machines securely. To use our SSH key pair, we have to copy the public key to the remote machine.

How to clone code with SSH key? ›

How to Clone a Repo with SSH Key in Git?
  1. Step 1: Create Repository. ...
  2. Step 2: Open Git Bash. ...
  3. Step 3: Generate SSH key. ...
  4. Step 4: Verify SSH keys. ...
  5. Step 5: Launch SSH Agent. ...
  6. Step 6: Add SSH key to SSH Agent. ...
  7. Step 7: Copy Public Key. ...
  8. Step 8: Open Remote Repo Settings.

How do I copy and paste from Windows to Linux terminal? ›

Using Keyboard Shortcut

To copy a text or line of code from the browser, you can use the generic CTRL + C combination or CTRL + SHIFT + C. Then, to paste this line of code into the terminal, you need to use CTRL + SHIFT + V keys.

How do I enable copy and paste remotely? ›

Method 1: Enable Copy/Paste Functions in Remote Desktop Connection Properties.
  1. Right-Click on the Remote Desktop Connection icon and click Edit. ...
  2. Choose the Local Resources tab, make sure Clipboard is checked, then click More…
  3. From the list of options, check Drives, then OK.

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