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SSH key storage locations

SSH keys are cryptographic credentials used for secure communication, commonly within workflows involving Git and platforms like GitHub. These keys are typically generated and stored in a specific, standardized directory within the user's home folder.

Standard Storage Location

By default, SSH keys are stored in a hidden directory named .ssh located in the user's home directory.^[600-developer__tools__git__github-sshkey.md]

  • Linux/macOS: ~/.ssh/ (Home directory)
  • Windows: C:\Users\YourUsername\.ssh\

Key Generation

Keys are generally generated using the ssh-keygen command-line utility. A standard command for creating a 4096-bit RSA key associated with an email address is:^[600-developer__tools__git__github-sshkey.md]

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your_email@example.com"
  • [[Git]]
  • [[GitHub]]

Sources

^[600-developer__tools__git__github-sshkey.md]