# Create SSH keys for Fuchsia devices

To make an SSH connection to a Fuchsia device, some `ffx` commands
(such as [`ffx target show`][ffx-target-show] and [`ffx log`][ffx-log])
require Fuchsia-specific SSH keys to be present on the host machine.

Note: With the version `9.20220727.0.1` or higher, some `ffx` commands
(such as `ffx target flash` and `ffx emu start`) will automatically generate
Fuchsia-specific SSH keys on the host machine if they are not found in the
`$HOME/.ssh` directory. (To check the `ffx` version on your host machine,
run `ffx sdk version`.)

## Concepts

During development, one or more public SSH keys
(listed in `fuchsia_authorized_keys`) are loaded to a Fuchsia device,
typically when a new Fuchsia image is [flashed to the device][flash-device].
Once the device is loaded with these public SSH keys, the `ffx` commands
(running from the host machine where a matching private SSH key is stored)
can establish an SSH connection to the device.

By default, Fuchsia-specific SSH keys are stored in the
`$HOME/.ssh` directory of the host machine, as shown below:

```none {:.devsite-disable-click-to-copy}
$HOME/.ssh/fuchsia_ed25519
$HOME/.ssh/fuchsia_authorized_keys
```

These files are created by `ffx` if they do not exist.

Note: These keys are not password protected. Don't use these keys for
non-development devices.

These files contain the following:

*   `fuchsia_ed25519`: A private SSH key. The content of this file must not
    be revealed or shared.
*   `fuchsia_authorized_keys`: A list of one or more authorized public SSH keys.

The `fuchsia_authorized_keys` file must include the public SSH key for
`fuchsia_ed25519`. During the flashing process, the `fuchsia_authorized_keys`
file gets uploaded from the host machine to the Fuchsia device.

If you have multiple development machines,
it's recommended that the Fuchsia SSH keys are synchronized across
your development machines. This may require you to copy the existing
Fuchsia SSH keys files from one machine to another.

<!-- Reference links -->

[ffx-target-show]: https://fuchsia.dev/reference/tools/sdk/ffx?skip_cache=true#show_8
[ffx-log]: https://fuchsia.dev/reference/tools/sdk/ffx?skip_cache=true#log_2
[flash-device]: ./flash-a-device.md