To connect to a remote server using SSH with PuTTY, you often need to use a PEM (Privacy Enhanced Mail) file for authentication. PEM files are commonly provided when setting up cloud instances, such as those on Amazon Web Services (AWS). Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use a PEM file with PuTTY to SSH into your server.
Download and Install PuTTY:
First, ensure that you have PuTTY installed on your machine. You can download it from the official website.
Convert PEM File to PPK Format:
PuTTY does not natively support PEM files; it requires a PPK (PuTTY Private Key) file. You can convert your PEM file to PPK using PuTTYgen, a key generator tool that comes with PuTTY.
– Open PuTTYgen.
– Click on “Load” and select your PEM file (you might need to change the file filter to show all files).
– After loading the PEM file, click on “Save private key” to save it as a PPK file. You can choose to protect the key with a passphrase for additional security.
How to Use a PEM File to SSH with PuTTY
Open PuTTY:
Launch the PuTTY application.
Configure the Session:
– In the “Session” category, enter the hostname or IP address of the remote server you want to connect to.
– Ensure the connection type is set to SSH and the port is set to 22 (default SSH port).
Specify the PPK File:
– In the “Category” pane, expand “SSH” and then select “Auth”.
– Click on “Browse” under “Private key file for authentication” and select the PPK file you generated with PuTTYgen.
Connect to the Server:
– Go back to the “Session” category.
– Optionally, save your session settings for future use by entering a name under “Saved Sessions” and clicking “Save”.
– Click “Open” to initiate the SSH connection.
Login:
– If this is your first time connecting to the server, you may see a security alert about the server’s host key. Click “Yes” to continue.
– When prompted, enter the username for your server (e.g., `ec2-user` for AWS instances).
How to Use a PEM File to SSH with PuTTY
Using a PEM file to SSH into a server with PuTTY involves the conversion of the PEM file to a PPK file format and configuring PuTTY to use this PPK file for authentication. This process ensures secure and authenticated access to your remote server.
By following these steps, you can effectively use a PEM file with PuTTY to establish a secure SSH connection to your server. This method is particularly useful for accessing cloud instances and managing remote servers with ease.