> ## 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.

# Known_hosts, identity files, and the SSH config file explained

> Understand what’s happening inside your .ssh folder

## ****`What's inside .ssh?`****

After generating a key, your `.ssh` folder (usually in `C:\Users\<yourname>\.ssh\`) might contain:

* `id_ed25519` or `id_rsa` – your **private key** (keep this safe!)
* `id_ed25519.pub` or `id_rsa.pub` – your **public key** (used to connect)
* `known_hosts` – tracks servers you’ve connected to before
* `config` – optional but handy file to simplify commands

## What does `known_hosts`do?

Every time you connect to a new server, its signature is added here. This helps verify the identity of the server next time.

If you ever see:

```
WARNING: REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED!
```

…it means the server key doesn’t match what’s in `known_hosts`. This can happen if:

* The instance was terminated and replaced
* You're connecting to a different host than expected

Fix it by deleting the old entry:

```
ssh-keygen -R <hostname>
```

## **What’s in a config file?**

Create a plain text file named `config` inside `.ssh` and add:

```
Host hivenet     HostName <your-instance-id>.ssh.hivecompute.ai     User ubuntu     IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519     ProxyCommand ssh bastion@ssh.hivecompute.ai %h
```

Now you can connect with:

```
ssh hivenet
```

instead of typing everything out every time.

<Tip>
  *Create a new Host block for each instance if you use multiple.*
</Tip>

## **Public key vs. private key**

* The `.pub` file (public) is safe to share—it’s how servers recognize you
* The private key must stay private—it proves who you are

Never send someone your private key, and don’t copy it into web forms.