(VB.NET) Generate DSA SSH Key

Generates a DSA SSH key and saves to various public and private key file formats (OpenSSH and PuTTY).

Chilkat .NET Downloads Chilkat .NET Framework Chilkat for .NET Core

Dim key As New Chilkat.SshKey

Dim success As Boolean

Dim numBits As Integer

' numBits should be a minimum of 1024 and
' a multiple of 64.  Typical values are
' 1024 or 2048. 
numBits = 2048
success = key.GenerateDsaKey(numBits)
If (success <> True) Then
    Debug.WriteLine("Invalid numBits passed to DSA key generation method.")
    Exit Sub
End If


' Note: Generating a public/private key pair is CPU intensive
' and may take a short amount of time (more than few seconds,
' but less than a minute).

Dim exportedKey As String
Dim exportEncrypted As Boolean

' Export the DSA private key to OpenSSH, PuTTY, and XML and save. 
exportEncrypted = False
exportedKey = key.ToOpenSshPrivateKey(exportEncrypted)
' Chilkat provides a SaveText method for convenience...
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"privkey_openssh_unencrypted.pem")

' Export with encryption to OpenSSH private key format:
key.Password = "secret"
exportEncrypted = True
exportedKey = key.ToOpenSshPrivateKey(exportEncrypted)
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"privkey_openssh_encrypted.pem")

' Export the DSA private key to unencrypted PuTTY format:
exportEncrypted = False
exportedKey = key.ToPuttyPrivateKey(exportEncrypted)
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"privkey_putty_unencrypted.ppk")

' Export the DSA private key to encrypted PuTTY format:
key.Password = "secret"
exportEncrypted = True
exportedKey = key.ToPuttyPrivateKey(exportEncrypted)
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"privkey_putty_encrypted.ppk")

' Export private key to XML:
exportedKey = key.ToXml()
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"privkey.xml")

' ----------------------------------------------------
' Now for the public key....
' ----------------------------------------------------

' The Secure Shell (SSH) Public Key File Format
' is documented in RFC 4716.
exportedKey = key.ToRfc4716PublicKey()
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"pubkey_rfc4716.pub")

' OpenSSH has a separate public-key file format, which 
' is also supported by Chilkat SshKey:
exportedKey = key.ToOpenSshPublicKey()
success = key.SaveText(exportedKey,"pubkey_openSsh.pub")

Debug.WriteLine("Finished.")