Generating an SSH key in Windows involves using the built-in OpenSSH client. Here's a step-by-step guide:
1. Open Command Prompt**: You can do this by searching for "Command Prompt" in the Start menu and selecting it.
2. Check if OpenSSH is installed**: In the Command Prompt, type `ssh`. If it's installed, you'll see a list of available options. If not, you'll see an error message indicating that the command is not recognized.
3. Install OpenSSH (if needed)**: If the `ssh` command isn't recognized, you need to install OpenSSH. You can do this by going to Settings > Apps > Optional features > Add a feature, then selecting "OpenSSH Client" from the list and clicking Install.
4. Generate SSH Key**: In the Command Prompt, type the following command to generate an SSH key:
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com"
Replace `"your_email@example.com"` with your email address. This command will create a 4096-bit RSA key pair, which is secure and widely supported.
5. Specify Key Location and Passphrase**: After running the command, you'll be prompted to specify where to save the key and whether to use a passphrase. Press Enter to accept the default location (typically `C:\Users\YourUsername\.ssh\id_rsa`) or specify a different one. If you choose to use a passphrase, you'll be prompted to enter it twice.
6. View Public Key**: Once the key is generated, you can view the public key by typing the following command:
type %USERPROFILE%\.ssh\id_rsa.pub
This command will display the contents of the public key file.
7. Copy Public Key**: Copy the entire contents of the public key file displayed in the Command Prompt. You can then paste this key into the appropriate location on the server you wish to connect to.
That's it! You've successfully generated an SSH key pair on Windows using the OpenSSH client.