SSH2 and Public Key

[Tom Bluewater]

Hola. I suspect that idiots are using insecure FTP connection to enter our system. So I got SFTP (FTP over SSH2) enabled. And I created private and public keys. Now, what I want to know is where to store this public key on the server side. I asked Hostmonster Livechat support people 3 or 4 times. But they either freeze while I'm waiting or simply don't have the answer. If I ask the same question with Help Desk, they never get back.

Does anybody use the public key authentication method for SFTP and know where to store the public key? Actually, it could be ssl folder.

Thanks a lot in advance.

[shadmego]

I haven't played with this as I normally use SSH for access, but I imagine that you just store your keys on the server in a directory that is not in the path of your website.

I mean you store you keys in a folder, say .sftp in the path:

/home/account/.sftp/<KEYS>

You may also want to check the documentation of the program that created the keys for you. They might have information on where to store the keys.

I keep all my keys in a folder called .gnup, but then again, I created my (digital signature) using the hostmonster program. It actually chooses the path for you. I know it isn't the same thing that you are talking about, but as I said before, there may be a default location your sftp program is going to look for the server keys.

~kind regards,
Shadmego

[Tom Bluewater]

Thanks for your reply, shadmego.

Actually, they tell me to put it in the folder '.ssh,' which you create at the top of the root.