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Version: 0.0.14

Key Pairs

SSH key pairs provide secure authentication to cloud servers without using passwords.

Command Syntax​

acloud compute keypair <command> [flags] [arguments]

Available Commands​

create​

Create a new SSH key pair.

Syntax:

acloud compute keypair create [flags]

Required Flags:

  • --name <string> - Name for the key pair
  • --public-key <string> - Public key value (SSH public key)

Optional Flags:

  • --project-id <string> - Project ID (uses context if not specified)

Example:

# Using a file
acloud compute keypair create \
  --name "my-keypair" \
  --public-key "$(cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub)"

# Or directly
acloud compute keypair create \
  --name "my-keypair" \
  --public-key "ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQC... user@host"

list​

List all key pairs in the project.

Syntax:

acloud compute keypair list [flags]

Optional Flags:

  • --project-id <string> - Project ID (uses context if not specified)

Example:

acloud compute keypair list

Output: The command displays a table with the following columns:

  • NAME
  • ID
  • PUBLIC_KEY (truncated to 50 characters)

get​

Get detailed information about a specific key pair.

Syntax:

acloud compute keypair get <keypair-name> [flags]

Arguments:

  • <keypair-name> - The name of the key pair

Optional Flags:

  • --project-id <string> - Project ID (uses context if not specified)
  • --verbose - Show detailed JSON output

Example:

acloud compute keypair get "my-keypair"

Output: The command displays:

  • Name
  • URI
  • Public key (full value)
  • Creation date and creator

update​

Update a key pair's public key (useful for key rotation).

Syntax:

acloud compute keypair update <keypair-name> [flags]

Arguments:

  • <keypair-name> - The name of the key pair

Required Flags:

  • --public-key <string> - New public key value

Optional Flags:

  • --project-id <string> - Project ID (uses context if not specified)

Example:

acloud compute keypair update "my-keypair" \
  --public-key "$(cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa_new.pub)"

delete​

Delete a key pair.

Syntax:

acloud compute keypair delete <keypair-name> [flags]

Arguments:

  • <keypair-name> - The name of the key pair

Optional Flags:

  • --project-id <string> - Project ID (uses context if not specified)
  • --yes, -y - Skip confirmation prompt

Example:

acloud compute keypair delete "my-keypair" --yes

Auto-completion​

The CLI provides auto-completion for key pair names:

acloud compute keypair get <TAB>
acloud compute keypair update <TAB>
acloud compute keypair delete <TAB>

Common Workflows​

Creating a Key Pair from Existing SSH Key​

# If you already have an SSH key pair
acloud compute keypair create \
  --name "my-laptop-key" \
  --public-key "$(cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub)"

Generating a New Key Pair​

  1. Generate a new SSH key pair (if needed):

    ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -f ~/.ssh/aruba_key -N ""

  2. Create the key pair in Aruba Cloud:

    acloud compute keypair create \
      --name "aruba-key" \
      --public-key "$(cat ~/.ssh/aruba_key.pub)"

  3. Use the key pair when creating cloud servers:

    acloud compute cloudserver create \
      --name "my-server" \
      --region "ITBG-Bergamo" \
      --flavor "small" \
      --image "your-image-id" \
      --keypair "aruba-key"

Rotating Keys​

  1. Generate a new key pair:

    ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -f ~/.ssh/aruba_key_new -N ""

  2. Update the key pair:

    acloud compute keypair update "aruba-key" \
      --public-key "$(cat ~/.ssh/aruba_key_new.pub)"

  3. Update your local SSH config to use the new private key

  4. Test the connection to your servers

  5. Delete the old key pair (if no longer needed):

    acloud compute keypair delete "old-keypair" --yes

Best Practices​

  • Naming: Use descriptive names that indicate the key's purpose or owner (e.g., user-john-laptop, ci-cd-server, admin-key)
  • Key Security:
    • Never share or expose private keys
    • Use strong key types (RSA 4096-bit or Ed25519)
    • Protect private keys with passphrases
  • Key Rotation: Rotate keys regularly for security
  • Multiple Keys: Use different key pairs for different environments or purposes
  • Backup: Keep secure backups of your private keys
  • Access Control: Only grant key pair access to authorized users