Add an SSH key

Add a public SSH key to TIR once, and then pick it whenever you create an instance or a training cluster. Your keys belong to you, so one key is available in every project.

Before you begin

You need a public key. If you need one, generate a key pair on your computer or create one in the browser.

Add the key

1. In TIR, open the account menu at the top right and select SSH Keys.
2. Open the Add Key menu and select Add new key. The Add SSH Key form opens.
3. In Key name, type a name that tells you which computer the key is for, such as macbook-pro-2025 or office-workstation. A name can be up to 50 characters, and it must differ from the names of your other keys.
4. In Public key, paste the contents of your public key file, which cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub prints. Paste one key only.
5. Select Add Key at the bottom of the form. It is available once both fields are filled. Cancel takes you back to the list.

The key is now in your list.

Upload the key file instead

Instead of pasting, you can select Upload .pub file and choose your public key file. If the key ends with a one-word comment, that comment becomes the Key name. Both fields stay editable after an upload, so you can change the name or the key. If the file has no comment, or a comment of more than one word, Key name keeps what you typed before, so type a name if it is empty. Add Key is available once both fields are filled.

What a valid key looks like

A public key starts with ssh-ed25519 or ssh-rsa, then the key itself, then an optional comment. TIR also accepts ECDSA keys. Paste the public key only; the private key stays on your computer.

TIR refuses a key when:

• the key name is already one of yours (“Label already exists.”),
• the key is already in your list (“SSHKey already exists.”),
• you pasted more than one key (“Please add one SSH key at a time.”), or
• the text is not a valid public key.

For what to do about each message, see Troubleshooting SSH Key Management.

With the key in your list, you can choose it and connect.