Ssh – How to rename a key pair in AWS

amazon-web-servicesssh

I am using a key pair called 'newkey' on many instances. I wish to keep using this key, but change the name of the key pair (obviously 'newkey' is quite vague, and won't be new forever).

Please note: there are a lot of similar questions, like https://stackoverflow.com/questions/7881469/change-key-pair-for-ec2-instance, about changing the keypair on a running instance. This is a different topic.

Best Answer

You cannot rename an existing keypair via the console or the API. You can import an existing key pair, however, so you could delete they keypair and import it with a new name..

For Git Bash

If you are running msysgit (I am assuming you are) and are looking to run Git Bash (I recommend it over TortoiseGit, but I lean to the CLI more than GUI now), you need to figure out what your home directory is for Git Bash by starting it then type pwd (On Windows 7, it will be something like C:\Users\phsr I think). While you're in Git Bash, you should mkdir .ssh.

After you have the home directory, and a .ssh folder under that, you want to open PuTTYgen and open the key (.ppk file) you have previously created. Once your key is open, you want to select Conversions -> Export OpenSSH key and save it to HOME\.ssh\id_rsa. After you have the key at that location, Git Bash will recognize the key and use it.

Note: Comments indicate that this doesn't work in all cases. You may need to copy the OpenSSH key to Program Files\Git\.ssh\id_rsa (or Program Files (x86)\Git\.ssh\id_rsa).

For TortoiseGit

When using TortoiseGit, you need to set the SSH key via pacey's directions. You need to do that for every repository you are using TortoiseGit with.

SSH login fails for EC2 instances created from image of working EC2

I suspect this is an SELinux problem. Check the context of the folder you are using, I expect it won't be correct for holding keys.

Im afraid I no longer have access to a Redhat box to establish exactly what the context should be. That said, try this:

ls -lZ /root/.ssh

This will yield the selinux context that your new folder needs to be. If I remember correctly it should be something like system_u:system_r:sshd_t

Then we need to apply that security context to your new authorized keys location:

semanage fcontext -a -t system_u:system_r:sshd_t “/etc/ssh/keys(/.*)?”

Which associated the correct context with the new keys location. Finally, we can apply the context to the new location

restorecon -Rv /etc/ssh/keys

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Git for Windows – How to Tell Git Where to Find Private RSA Key

For Git Bash

For TortoiseGit

SSH login fails for EC2 instances created from image of working EC2

Related Topic