Key Management¶

Manage your SSH keys in StormTunnel.

Opening Key Management¶

• Press ⇧⌘K, or choose Window → SSH Key Management, or
• Go to Settings > General and click Manage SSH Keys…

Window Layout¶

The main table lists your keys with type, security, encryption, and validation information. Select a key to open its inspector on the right, where you can view details, validate it, and copy its public key or fingerprint.

The toolbar contains Import, Generate, Delete, Filter, and Inspector controls, and the window has a Search Keys field. Use Inspector or Alt+Cmd+I to show or hide the details pane. When there are no keys, the window offers Import Keys… and Generate Key….

Finding Your Keys¶

Key Management lists the keys you have imported or generated in StormTunnel. Onboarding offers to import keys from ~/.ssh/; to add more later, use Import. StormTunnel stores imported private keys in your macOS Keychain.

Importing Keys¶

1. Click Import (Cmd+I)
2. Select your key file (.pem, .key, or id_rsa/id_ed25519)
3. Click Open

You can also drag and drop a key file directly into the Key Management window.

SSH Key Types¶

An SSH key pair consists of a private key (stays on your Mac) and a public key (shared with servers).

Key Status Indicators¶

Each key shows a security level and a validation status. Validation reports whether the key format is valid, whether it is encrypted, and any problems (for example, deprecated DSA keys). Status is shown with a symbol and text as well as color. Select a key and click Validate Key in the inspector if it shows Not Yet Validated.

Using Keys in Tunnels¶

1. Choose "SSH Key" authentication method when creating or editing a tunnel
2. Select your key from the dropdown
3. Save the tunnel

Copying Your Public Key¶

1. Select your key
2. Click Copy Public Key in the inspector
3. Paste into the server's ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Ask your server administrator if you are unsure where to paste it.

Filtering Keys¶

Click the Filter dropdown to show:

• All Keys - Everything
• Valid Only - Working keys (green status)
• Needs Attention - Keys with warnings (yellow)
• Encrypted - Password-protected keys

Searching Keys¶

Use the search box to find keys by name:

• github -- Find keys named "github-*"
• prod -- Find production keys
• ed25519 -- Find ED25519 keys

Common Issues¶

Key Not Appearing¶

1. Click Import and select the key file (for example in ~/.ssh/)
2. Check the filter: All Keys shows everything
3. Restart StormTunnel

"Invalid Key Format"¶

• Make sure you are selecting the private key (not the .pub file)
• Verify the file starts with -----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY----- or -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

Key Works in Terminal But Not in StormTunnel¶

1. Re-import the key
2. Check if key has a passphrase -- StormTunnel will prompt for it
3. Verify file permissions are 600 or 400

Best Practices¶

1. Use ED25519 keys -- modern and secure
2. Use descriptive names -- e.g., id_ed25519_work instead of id_rsa
3. Keep separate keys -- different keys for work, personal, staging
4. Never share private keys -- only share public keys
5. Rotate keys regularly -- at least once per year
6. Keep backups -- store a secure backup of important keys