It’s a secure protocol used to safely connect to remote systems over a network (typically used by developers to access servers, manage files, or interact with platforms like GitHub)

How SSH works (shortly)
Think of SSH like a secure tunnel between your computer and another system. Instead of sending your username/password every time, SSH uses key for authentication.

Generate an SSH key pair

  • Private Key: Stored secretly on computer
  • Public Key: Shared with platform server

Remote Platform need public key

  • It stores it securely in that remote account

When try to connect to remote via SSH

  • Remote asks: Do you have the matching private key?
  • My computer proves it without sending the private key
  • if it matches remote lets you in — no password needed

Generate SSH Key (Each command will worked perfectly for linux/macOS based terminal)

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "email here"

Start the SSH agent

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Add private key to SSH Agent

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Print SSH key

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub (see public key)

Delete the compromised SSH key (If needed)

rm -f ~/.ssh/id_ed25519*

Conclusion
SSH is an essential tool for anyone working with remote systems—whether you're a developer, system administrator, or DevOps engineer. By understanding how SSH works and adopting best practices like using key-based authentication and managing your configurations securely, you can greatly enhance the safety and efficiency of your workflow. Mastering SSH not only improves your command-line skills but also empowers you to manage servers and services with confidence. So start exploring, stay secure, and take full control of your remote environments.