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Objective
Generate an SSH Key, and add it to my Spinup profile.

Introduction
SSH (Secure SHell) is a protocol used to securely connect to remote systems, and an SSH key is a form of authentication that aids in establishing such secure connections. As such, SSH keys are required to connect to servers created in Spinup. In this guide, you will learn how to generate an SSH key, and add it to your profile in Spinup.

Setting Up SSH Key

Before you can create a server in Spinup, you will need to add a SSH key to your profile. Once added, this key will give you access to any new servers you create. (If you already have an SSH key set up on your profile, feel free to move on to the next step).

To add an SSH Key to your profile:

  1. Login to Spinup. From the homepage, click on your (name / netid) on the navigation bar on the top of the page. This will bring you to your user profile settings.

  2. From the ‘User Settings’ tab on the left-side of the page, select the ‘Manage SSH keys' tab.

  3. Generate an SSH Key. (If you have already generated an SSH before, you can just copy it and move onto the next step):

...

titleGenerate an SSH Key on Linux / MacOS

  1. Open a terminal.

  2. In the terminal, run the command:

...

To connect securely to your Spinup server, you’ll need to add an SSH public key to your account. This allows password-less login and is required for access to Linux servers provisioned through Spinup.

Step 1: Generate an SSH Key (if you don't already have one)

If you don’t already have an SSH key pair, generate one from your terminal:

cat 
 -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com"
Code Block
ssh-keygen -t rsa

  1. Follow through the steps provided in the terminal.

  2. Once finished, copy your public key to your clipboard via the following command:

Code Block
languagebash

Press Enter to accept the default file location (~/.ssh/id_rsa) and set a passphrase if desired.

Your public key will be saved in a file like ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

...

Expand
titleGenerate an SSH Key on Windows

  1. Ensure “OpenSSH” is enabled:

    1. Open the Settings app.

    2. Go to Apps > Optional Features.

    3. Scroll down and see if "OpenSSH Client" is listed. If it's not, click on Add a feature, find "OpenSSH Client", and install it.

  2. Open the Command Prompt.

  3. In the Command Prompt, run the command:

Code Block
languagebash
ssh-keygen -t rsa

  1. Once finished, copy your public key to your clipboard via the following command:

Code Block
languagebash
type %USERPROFILE%\.ssh\id_rsa.pub | clip

  1. Once you have copied your public key, paste that public key into the ‘SSH Key’ text box on the user settings page, and hit save. You should now be able to create a virtual server in Spinup.

...

This SSH key will only work on new instances that you create. To connect to instances others have created, they will need to add you to their server (see: How to add new users on Linux? ).

...

.

Step 2: Add the SSH Key to Your Spinup Profile

  1. Go to the Spinup Console.

  2. Click your name in the top-right corner and select Profile.

  3. Click the SSH Keys tab.

  4. Click Add Key.

  5. Paste the contents of your public key (e.g., id_rsa.pub) into the field.

  6. Click Save.

🔐 Important: Only public keys (.pub files) should be uploaded. Never share or upload your private key (id_rsa).

Step 3: Verify Access

Once your key is added, any new Linux server you provision will automatically include the key for SSH access. You can connect using:

Code Block
ssh your-netid@your-server-ip

If you have issues connecting:

  • Make sure you’re using your netid (e.g., tl694, jsi3, etc.).

  • Confirm your public key is correctly copied with no extra spaces or line breaks.

  • Ensure the server’s security group allows SSH (port 22) access.

Need Help?

If you encounter issues:

  • Contact the Spinup team at spinup@yale.edu

  • Join the #spinup channel on Yale Slack for real-time assistance