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SSH Keys Management

SSH key–based authentication is the recommended way to access nodes and notebooks on TIR. Cryptographic keys are significantly more secure than passwords — they cannot be guessed or brute-forced, and no credentials are transmitted over the network.

Passwordless AccessCryptographic AuthPer-Machine KeysMyAccount Sync

Quick Start​

How SSH Keys Work​

SSH uses a public/private key pair:

KeyWhere It LivesPurpose
Private KeyYour local machine — never sharedProves your identity when connecting
Public KeyUploaded to TIR and attached to your resourcesValidates the connecting client

Authentication flow:

  • Generate a key pair on your local machine.
  • Upload the public key to TIR.
  • When connecting to a node, the server checks your private key against the stored public key.
  • If they match, access is granted — no password required.

warning

Your private key must never leave your machine. Only the .pub (public key) file should be uploaded to TIR.

Generate an SSH Key Pair​

  • macOS / Linux:
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"
  • Windows (PowerShell):
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"

This creates two files:

FileTypeAction
~/.ssh/id_ed25519🔒 Private KeyKeep on your machine — never share
~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub🔑 Public KeyUpload this to TIR

tip

Use ed25519 for better security and performance over the older RSA algorithm.

Manage SSH Keys on TIR​

1. Access the SSH Keys Section​

  • Log in to the TIR AI Platform.
  • Click your Profile Icon in the top-right corner.
  • Select SSH Keys from the menu.

2. Add an SSH Key​

  • Click Add Key.
  • Enter a recognizable label (e.g., macbook-pro-2025, office-workstation).
  • Paste the content of your public key file (id_ed25519.pub): 
    cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
  • Click Add Key to save.

info

A valid public key starts with ssh-ed25519 or ssh-rsa, followed by the key data and an optional comment.

3. Create an SSH Key from the Browser​

You can also generate an SSH key pair directly from the TIR console — no local ssh-keygen required.

  • Go to the SSH Keys section (Profile Icon > SSH Keys) or use the SSH Key dropdown during resource creation.
  • Click Create Key and enter a recognizable label.
  • TIR generates the key pair:
    • The public key is saved to your account and automatically available for attachment to resources.
    • The private key is downloaded to your machine as a .pem file (e.g., my-key.pem).

warning

The private key .pem file is downloaded only once. TIR does not store it. If you lose this file, you will need to create a new key.

4. Delete an SSH Key​

  • Locate the key in the SSH Keys list.
  • Click Delete next to it.

warning

Deleting a key immediately revokes access to any nodes or notebooks deployed with it. Connections from the corresponding private key will no longer be accepted.

Use SSH Keys When Creating Resources​

Once a key is added to your account, it is available when creating new resources:

  1. During instance or notebook creation, select your preferred SSH key from the SSH Key dropdown.
  2. Connect to the resource using your private key:

If you generated the key locally (with ssh-keygen):

ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 ubuntu@<node-ip-address>

If you created the key from the browser (downloaded .pem file):

First, set the correct permissions on the downloaded private key:

chmod 600 <private-key.pem>

Then connect:

ssh -i <private-key.pem> root@<node-ip-address>
tip

The chmod 600 command restricts the file so only you can read it. SSH refuses to use a private key file with open permissions.

info

The SSH username (e.g., root, ubuntu) depends on the instance image. Check your image documentation for the correct username.

info

A Security Group with port 22 open must be attached to the instance for SSH connections to work.

Import SSH Keys from MyAccount​

Sync SSH keys from your E2E MyAccount without re-uploading:

  1. Go to the SSH Keys section.
  2. Click Sync SSH to import keys from your MyAccount default project.

Import Rules
  • A key with the same name already in TIR will not be imported.
  • A key with the same content but a different name will also not be imported.

Best Practices​

01

Key Strength

  • Use ed25519 or RSA 4096 — both are stronger than older key types
  • Set a passphrase on your private key for an extra layer of protection
02

Local Security

  • Set correct file permissions: chmod 600 ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
  • For browser-generated keys, run chmod 600 on the downloaded .pem file before first use
  • Never store private keys in cloud storage, shared drives, or version control
03

Lifecycle Management

  • Use meaningful labels to identify which key belongs to which machine
  • Rotate keys periodically and remove old or unused keys from TIR
Last updated on May 15, 2026.