> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hivenet.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to generate and add an SSH key on Linux

> A quick start for first-time Compute with Hivenet users on Linux

## What you’ll need

* A Hivenet account with Compute credits ready
* A Debian-, Ubuntu-, Fedora-, or Arch-based distro (others work too)
* **OpenSSH client** (`ssh`) installed
* A terminal emulator

## Step 1 – Create your SSH key pair

```
bashCopyEditssh-keygen -t ed25519
```

* Accept the default path (`/home/<you>/.ssh/id_ed25519`).
* Add a passphrase for extra security.

<Tip>
  Password managers such as 1Password, Bitwarden, and KeePassXC can generate and store SSH keys automatically. If you already rely on one, it’s an easy alternative to the `ssh-keygen` command.
</Tip>

## Step 2 – Find your key files

Open the folder in your file manager:

```
bashCopyEditxdg-open ~/.ssh
```

—or browse there manually (`Home → .ssh`). You should see:

* `id_ed25519` (private)
* `id_ed25519.pub` (public)

## Step 3 – Add your public key to Hivenet

1. Copy the public key to your clipboard:

   ```
   bashCopyEditcat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | xclip -selection clipboard
   ```

   \_(If \_`xclip`*isn’t installed, just open the file in a text editor and copy.)*
2. In **Compute with Hivenet**, paste the key into **SSH key** when you spin up an instance.

<Warning>
  Share only the `.pub` key. Keep the private key private.
</Warning>

## Step 4 – (Optional) add a quick SSH config

Create or edit **\~/.ssh/config**:

```
perlCopyEditHost hivenet HostName <your-instance-id>.ssh.hivecompute.ai User ubuntu IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 # Remove this line if no bastion host is listed ProxyCommand ssh bastion@ssh.hivecompute.ai %h
```

Connect with:

```
bashCopyEditssh hivenet
```

## Troubleshooting

| Message                           | Likely cause & fix                                                                                       |
| :-------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Permission denied (publickey)** | Wrong key or the public key isn’t on the instance. Re-check the key path or re-add the key.              |
| **Connection timed out**          | Network issue or incorrect `ProxyCommand`. Try `ssh -v hivenet` for details.                             |
| **ssh: command not found**        | Install the OpenSSH client package (`install openssh-client`, `sudo dnf install openssh-clients`, etc.). |