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LFCS · Question #301

Which of the following commands would an administrator use to create an OpenSSH authentication key?

The correct answer is C. ssh-keygen. The ssh-keygen command is the correct utility for creating new OpenSSH authentication key pairs, consisting of both public and private keys.

Submitted by kavita_s· Apr 18, 2026Service Configuration

Question

Which of the following commands would an administrator use to create an OpenSSH authentication key?

Options

  • Asshd
  • Bssh-agent
  • Cssh-keygen
  • Dssh-add

How the community answered

(45 responses)
  • A
    4% (2)
  • B
    2% (1)
  • C
    93% (42)

Why each option

The `ssh-keygen` command is the correct utility for creating new OpenSSH authentication key pairs, consisting of both public and private keys.

Asshd

`sshd` is the OpenSSH daemon that listens for and handles incoming SSH connections, it does not create keys.

Bssh-agent

`ssh-agent` is a program that holds private keys used for public key authentication, it does not create keys.

Cssh-keygenCorrect

The `ssh-keygen` command is specifically designed to generate, manage, and convert authentication keys for SSH. It creates both the public and private key files necessary for public-key authentication in OpenSSH.

Dssh-add

`ssh-add` is used to add private keys to the authentication agent (`ssh-agent`), it does not create new keys.

Concept tested: OpenSSH key generation

Source: https://www.openssh.com/manual.html#ssh-keygen

Topics

#SSH keys#ssh-keygen#OpenSSH#authentication

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