Generate RSA SSH Key

Generates an RSA SSH key and saves to various public and private key file formats (OpenSSH and PuTTY).

Download Chilkat SSH / SFTP ActiveX

Dim key As New ChilkatSshKey

Dim success As Long

Dim numBits As Long
Dim exponent As Long

'  numBits may range from 384 to 4096.  Typical values are
'  1024 or 2048.  (must be a multiple of 64)
'  A good choice for the exponent is 65537.  Chilkat recommends
'  always using this value.
numBits = 2048
exponent = 65537
success = key.GenerateRsaKey(numBits,exponent)
If (success <> 1) Then
    Text1.Text = Text1.Text & "Bad params passed to RSA key generation method." & vbCrLf
    Exit Sub
End If

'  Note: Generating a public/private key pair is CPU intensive
'  and may take a short amount of time (more than few seconds,
'  but less than a minute).

Dim exportedKey As String
Dim exportEncrypted As Long

'  Export the RSA private key to OpenSSH, PuTTY, and XML and save.
exportEncrypted = 0
exportedKey = key.ToOpenSshPrivateKey(exportEncrypted)
'  Chilkat provides a SaveText method for convenience...
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"privkey_openssh_unencrypted.pem")

'  Export with encryption to OpenSSH private key format:
key.Password = "secret"
exportEncrypted = 1
exportedKey = key.ToOpenSshPrivateKey(exportEncrypted)
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"privkey_openssh_encrypted.pem")

'  Export the RSA private key to unencrypted PuTTY format:
exportEncrypted = 0
exportedKey = key.ToPuttyPrivateKey(exportEncrypted)
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"privkey_putty_unencrypted.ppk")

'  Export the RSA private key to encrypted PuTTY format:
key.Password = "secret"
exportEncrypted = 1
exportedKey = key.ToPuttyPrivateKey(exportEncrypted)
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"privkey_putty_encrypted.ppk")

'  Export private key to XML:
exportedKey = key.ToXml()
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"privkey.xml")

'  ----------------------------------------------------
'  Now for the public key....
'  ----------------------------------------------------

'  The Secure Shell (SSH) Public Key File Format
'  is documented in RFC 4716.
exportedKey = key.ToRfc4716PublicKey()
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"pubkey_rfc4716.pub")

'  OpenSSH has a separate public-key file format, which
'  is also supported by Chilkat SshKey:
exportedKey = key.ToOpenSshPublicKey()
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"pubkey_openSsh.pub")