Certainly! If you’d prefer to generate an SSH key directly in cPanel and use it on Windows with PuTTY as a .ppk file, follow these steps:

Step 1: Generate an SSH Key in cPanel

1.Log in to cPanel.

2.Navigate to SSH Access.

3.Under Manage SSH Keys, click Generate New Key.

4.Fill out the form:

•Key Name: Leave it blank for the default or specify a name (e.g., coltrack_key).

•Key Type: Select RSA.

•Key Size: Choose 4096 for stronger security.

•Passphrase: Optional but recommended. Enter a passphrase for additional security.

5.Click Generate Key.

6.Once the key is created, go to the Manage SSH Keys page.

7.Locate your newly created key under Public Keys and click Manage → Authorize.

Step 2: Download the Private Key

1.On the same Manage SSH Keys page, locate your key under Private Keys.

2.Click View/Download next to the private key.

3.Enter the passphrase (if one was set) and click Convert to download the private key in .pem format.

Step 3: Convert the Key to .ppk for PuTTY

1.Download PuTTYgen if not already installed. It’s part of the PuTTY suite: Download PuTTY.

2.Open PuTTYgen.

3.Click Load and:

•In the file type dropdown, choose All Files (*.*).

•Select the .pem file you downloaded from cPanel.

4.If your key has a passphrase, you’ll be prompted to enter it.

5.Once loaded, click Save private key.

•You can leave the passphrase or remove it when saving.

6.Save the file as a .ppk file (e.g., username_key.ppk).

Step 4: Configure PuTTY for Connection

1.Open PuTTY.

2.In the Host Name (or IP address) field, enter your server hostname or shared IP

3.In the Port field, ensure 22 is selected (default for SSH).

4.Under the Connection → Data section:

•Enter coltrack as the Auto-login username.

5.Go to Connection → SSH → Auth:

•Click Browse and select the .ppk file you saved earlier.

6.Optionally, save the session:

•Go back to the Session category.

•Enter a name in the Saved Sessions field (e.g., leo).

•Click Save.

Step 5: Connect Using PuTTY

1.Select your saved session and click Open.

2.If prompted, accept the server’s fingerprint.

3.You should now be connected.