Generate SSH key on Ubuntu
Open Terminal on Ubuntu and run:
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -f ~/.ssh/key_name
When prompted:
Passphrase: optional (press Enter to skip or set one)
This creates:
Private key: ~/.ssh/key_name
Public key: ~/.ssh/key_name.pub
Verify:
ls ~/.ssh/
Copy the public key
Display the public key:
cat ~/.ssh/key_name.pub
Copy the entire output (starts with ssh-rsa).
Import the key into cPanel
- Log in to cPanel
- Go to Security → SSH Access
- Click Manage SSH Keys
- Click Import Key
- Fill in:
- Name:
- Public Key: paste the copied content
- Click Import
- After importing, click Manage → Authorize
- The key must be authorized or SSH will not work.
Connect to the server using the key
Use this command (replace values):
ssh -i ~/.ssh/key_name username@server_ip
Example:
ssh -i ~/.ssh/key_name sshtuser@192.168.1.100
If your server uses a non-standard port (e.g. 2222):
ssh -i ~/.ssh/key_name -p 2222 username@server_ip
(Optional) Fix permissions (important)
If SSH gives permission errors:
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/key_name
chmod 644 ~/.ssh/key_name.pub