54 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
54 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
title: Checking for existing SSH keys
|
|
intro: 'Before you generate an SSH key, you can check to see if you have any existing SSH keys.'
|
|
redirect_from:
|
|
- /articles/checking-for-existing-ssh-keys
|
|
- /github/authenticating-to-github/checking-for-existing-ssh-keys
|
|
- /github/authenticating-to-github/connecting-to-github-with-ssh/checking-for-existing-ssh-keys
|
|
versions:
|
|
fpt: '*'
|
|
ghes: '*'
|
|
ghae: '*'
|
|
ghec: '*'
|
|
topics:
|
|
- SSH
|
|
shortTitle: Check for existing SSH key
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## About SSH keys
|
|
|
|
You can use SSH to perform Git operations in repositories on {% ifversion fpt or ghec or ghes %}{% data variables.location.product_location %}{% elsif ghae %}{% data variables.product.product_name %}{% endif %}. For more information, see "[AUTOTITLE](/authentication/connecting-to-github-with-ssh/about-ssh)."
|
|
|
|
If you have an existing SSH key, you can use the key to authenticate Git operations over SSH.
|
|
|
|
## Checking for existing SSH keys
|
|
|
|
Before you generate a new SSH key, you should check your local machine for existing keys.
|
|
|
|
{% data reusables.ssh.key-type-support %}
|
|
|
|
{% data reusables.command_line.open_the_multi_os_terminal %}
|
|
2. Enter `ls -al ~/.ssh` to see if existing SSH keys are present.
|
|
|
|
```shell
|
|
$ 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. By default, the {% ifversion ghae %}filename of a supported public key for {% data variables.product.product_name %} is *id_rsa.pub*.{% else %}filenames of supported public keys for {% data variables.product.product_name %} are one of the following.
|
|
- *id_rsa.pub*
|
|
- *id_ecdsa.pub*
|
|
- *id_ed25519.pub*{% endif %}
|
|
|
|
{% tip %}
|
|
|
|
**Tip**: If you receive an error that *~/.ssh* doesn't exist, you do not have an existing SSH key pair in the default location. You can create a new SSH key pair in the next step.
|
|
|
|
{% endtip %}
|
|
|
|
4. Either generate a new SSH key or upload an existing key.
|
|
- If you don't have a supported public and private key pair, or don't wish to use any that are available, generate a new SSH key.
|
|
- If you see an existing public and private key pair listed (for example, *id_rsa.pub* and *id_rsa*) that you would like to use to connect to {% data variables.product.product_name %}, you can add the key to the ssh-agent.
|
|
|
|
For more information about generation of a new SSH key or addition of an existing key to the ssh-agent, see "[AUTOTITLE](/authentication/connecting-to-github-with-ssh/generating-a-new-ssh-key-and-adding-it-to-the-ssh-agent)."
|