sample steps to create a key pair for use in the sftp transfer.

Please follow these sample steps to create a key pair for use in the sftp transfer.

Generate a key pair with a default name and location

When using public key authentication, the OpenSSH client by default looks for a private key named id_dsa or id_rsa in the $HOME/.ssh directory.

1. On the system running the OpenSSH client, change directories to .ssh. If the .ssh directory does not exist, create it.
2. Use the following command to create a key pair:

ssh-keygen –t <rsa or dsa>

Note: You must use the –t switch and specify a type, rsa or dsa. To see a list of available switches, use the command ssh-keygen -h, or check the man pages for more details.

The key generation utility will run for a few moments.

a.       Once the utility has generated the key pair, you are prompted to enter a file and the path in which to save the key. Accept the default file name and path.

b.      You are then prompted to enter and confirm a passphrase.

c.    After entering a passphrase, the location and names of the private and public keys are displayed. For example:

Your identification has been saved in /export/home/user/.ssh/id_dsa.
Your public key has been saved in /export/home/user/.ssh/id_dsa.pub.

Use the following command to convert the OpenSSH public key to IETF SECSH format, the format required by the Reflection SSH Windows or UNIX Server:

ssh-keygen -e -f <keyname>.pub > <keyname2>.pub

Once that is done please send the *.pub file to us and we can add it to your login and you should be able to sftp to the site.