General Settings

RSA/DSA Key Generation, Transfer, and the SSH-Agent

iSSH can manage any number of keys and temporarily store them in its key agent for later use or for agent forwarding. Keys are managed from the "General Settings" under "Configure SSH Keys".

To generate a key pair, tap "Generate Key" and select the key type of your preference (RSA or DSA) and the key generation dialog will appear. Enter a password for this key (optional, but strongly suggested) and then tap the "Generate Key" button.

You will be instructed to make your key unique by generating random noise by tapping and moving within the blue area. Once enough noise is collected, you key will be generated and the dialog will dismiss itself.

Once complete, you can have the public key emailed to yourself or use the connection screen to automatically transfer your key.

One can also import keys. Using the pasteboard, double tap in the empty text area and paste the key, starting from the "----BEGIN" to the last line of "----END". If the key is encrypted, enter the password in the area above. Then tap "Save." If the import is successful, you will then be brought to a screen where you can name this key, export it, email its public key or add it to the key agent.

On successful key generation, when a key has been imported, or when one is editing a key, the following options are available.

Here the key can be given a unique description to help with organization. One can mark this key as accessible through the SSH Agent. In exporting a key, one can email the public key for use with a non-standard key authorization scheme and finally, if necessary, iSSH will export the private key to the clipboard.

Concerning the key agent, the key can also be temporarily added to the agent for the immediate session. This will allow for one to use a key to authenticate to one server but another through agent fowarding. If the "Use SSH-Agent" is set to "Yes" for this key, the key itself is automatically added to the SSH agent when it is used the first time on a connection has been assigned to it.

Keys are removed from the agent when iSSH is restarted or is terminated by iOS.