Puttygen is a tool to generate public and private SSH Keys in server applications. The SSH keys are created in the pkk format by putty but they can also be converted into other formats as used by OpenSSL. PuttyGen is available for Windows, Linux & Macintosh computers (MacOS). Putty comes with a GUI for Windows, but PuttyGen for Linux and macOS are command driven. We will show you how to install Putty and PuTTYgen. For Linux, there is also a command-line version. And we show you how to generate putty ssh keys, PuttyGen makes key generation really easy.
PuTTYgen Download
PuTTYgen is a software that generates public and public SSH password pairs for the SSH protocol. Although originally designed for Windows, it can be easily installed for multiple platforms including Linux, macOS, and Windows.
The PuTTYgen software can be downloaded from the Putty website.
How to install Putty and PuTTYgen
Steps to Install Putty and PuTTYgen on your computer.
For Windows operating system:
- Download the PuTTYgen executable from this site.
- Install PuTTYgen by double-clicking the downloaded package and following the installation wizard's instructions.
- Download Putty from the same website as PuTTYgen (link provided above).
- Once installed, open Putty, enter your host details and login credentials, then start using it. You are ready now to create your first SSH private key.
For Mac:
- Download the .dmg image of PuTTY from this page
- Install PuTTY by opening the image file with Finder and dragging "Putty" into your Applications folder or another preferred location for applications on your Mac computer
- Open Putty and enter your host details and login credentials, then start using it!
For Ubuntu Linux:
- Launch the Ubuntu Software Center or Synaptic Package Manager (if you're running an older version of Ubuntu)
- Search for “puTTY” in either window
- Select “putty”and click “install” when prompted
- After putting is installed, open a terminal window in the Ubuntu Desktop Environment and type "sudo apt-get install putty" to confirm that it is successfully installed 5 Open Putty, enter your host details and login credentials, then start using it!
How to use PuTTYgen?
PuTTYgen generates public and private key pairs for creating rsa keys. The first step is to start the application:
Then click on the Generate button to start the process of generating a new SSH key pair.
Finally, the public and private key are ready. Use the "Save public key" and "Save private key" buttons to save the key files to disk.
You can also load an existing key file into PuTTYgen using the 'Load" button. This file must contain a private key.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are PuTTY and PuTTYgen the same?
PuTTYgen is a component of the OpenSource Putty Toolset. It is used to generate a private key and public key pair. Such keys are required so key-based authentication with computer systems that supports ssh connections. PuTTYgen is the putty key generator tool.
Do we need PuTTY on Mac?
When using the Mac OS X, the cloud server does not require any external client like PuTTY to establish an SSL connection via the SSH protocol. There is a native SSH client available on MacOS.
What are the alternatives for PuTTY?
Here are some alternatives for Putty:
- The built-in ssh command on Linux and Unix systems. An alternative for PuTTYgen (the Putty key generator) is the Linux generate-keys command.
- KiTTY
- SuperPuTTY.
- Bitvize is a SSH client
What are PuTTY and Super PuTTY?
SuperPutty is mainly a Windows application that is used to control Windows of the PuTTY SSH Client. It allows for importing PuTTY Terminal instances into Windows forms providing an improved tabbed interface for the use of multiple connections.
Is PuTTY the same as SSH?
PuTTY is a free SSH and Telnet client for Windows and Linux.
How do I run Unix commands in PuTTY?
Putty is just an SSH client which emulates a terminal over SSH, so it is basically a command line that can be used remotely. A requirement is that the Linux or Unix system you connect to supports ssh connections. You run Unix and Linux commands in the exact same way in Putty as you do on a terminal that is directly connected to your Linux or Unix server.