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+---
+stage: Verify
+group: Continuous Integration
+info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
+type: tutorial
+---
+
+# Using SSH keys with GitLab CI/CD
+
+GitLab currently doesn't have built-in support for managing SSH keys in a build
+environment (where the GitLab Runner runs).
+
+The SSH keys can be useful when:
+
+1. You want to checkout internal submodules
+1. You want to download private packages using your package manager (e.g., Bundler)
+1. You want to deploy your application to your own server, or, for example, Heroku
+1. You want to execute SSH commands from the build environment to a remote server
+1. You want to rsync files from the build environment to a remote server
+
+If anything of the above rings a bell, then you most likely need an SSH key.
+
+The most widely supported method is to inject an SSH key into your build
+environment by extending your `.gitlab-ci.yml`, and it's a solution which works
+with any type of [executor](https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/)
+(Docker, shell, etc.).
+
+## How it works
+
+1. Create a new SSH key pair locally with [`ssh-keygen`](https://linux.die.net/man/1/ssh-keygen)
+1. Add the private key as a [variable](../variables/README.md) to
+ your project
+1. Run the [`ssh-agent`](https://linux.die.net/man/1/ssh-agent) during job to load
+ the private key.
+1. Copy the public key to the servers you want to have access to (usually in
+ `~/.ssh/authorized_keys`) or add it as a [deploy key](../../ssh/README.md#deploy-keys)
+ if you are accessing a private GitLab repository.
+
+The private key is displayed in the job log, unless you enable
+[debug logging](../variables/README.md#debug-logging). You might also want to
+check the [visibility of your pipelines](../pipelines/settings.md#visibility-of-pipelines).
+
+## SSH keys when using the Docker executor
+
+When your CI/CD jobs run inside Docker containers (meaning the environment is
+contained) and you want to deploy your code in a private server, you need a way
+to access it. This is where an SSH key pair comes in handy.
+
+1. You first need to create an SSH key pair. For more information, follow
+ the instructions to [generate an SSH key](../../ssh/README.md#generate-an-ssh-key-pair).
+ **Do not** add a passphrase to the SSH key, or the `before_script` will
+ prompt for it.
+
+1. Create a new [CI/CD variable](../variables/README.md).
+ As **Key** enter the name `SSH_PRIVATE_KEY` and in the **Value** field paste
+ the content of your _private_ key that you created earlier.
+
+1. Modify your `.gitlab-ci.yml` with a `before_script` action. In the following
+ example, a Debian based image is assumed. Edit to your needs:
+
+ ```yaml
+ before_script:
+ ##
+ ## Install ssh-agent if not already installed, it is required by Docker.
+ ## (change apt-get to yum if you use an RPM-based image)
+ ##
+ - 'command -v ssh-agent >/dev/null || ( apt-get update -y && apt-get install openssh-client -y )'
+
+ ##
+ ## Run ssh-agent (inside the build environment)
+ ##
+ - eval $(ssh-agent -s)
+
+ ##
+ ## Add the SSH key stored in SSH_PRIVATE_KEY variable to the agent store
+ ## We're using tr to fix line endings which makes ed25519 keys work
+ ## without extra base64 encoding.
+ ## https://gitlab.com/gitlab-examples/ssh-private-key/issues/1#note_48526556
+ ##
+ - echo "$SSH_PRIVATE_KEY" | tr -d '\r' | ssh-add -
+
+ ##
+ ## Create the SSH directory and give it the right permissions
+ ##
+ - mkdir -p ~/.ssh
+ - chmod 700 ~/.ssh
+
+ ##
+ ## Optionally, if you will be using any Git commands, set the user name and
+ ## and email.
+ ##
+ # - git config --global user.email "user@example.com"
+ # - git config --global user.name "User name"
+ ```
+
+ The [`before_script`](../yaml/README.md#before_script) can be set globally
+ or per-job.
+
+1. Make sure the private server's [SSH host keys are verified](#verifying-the-ssh-host-keys).
+
+1. As a final step, add the _public_ key from the one you created in the first
+ step to the services that you want to have an access to from within the build
+ environment. If you are accessing a private GitLab repository you need to add
+ it as a [deploy key](../../ssh/README.md#deploy-keys).
+
+That's it! You can now have access to private servers or repositories in your
+build environment.
+
+## SSH keys when using the Shell executor
+
+If you are using the Shell executor and not Docker, it is easier to set up an
+SSH key.
+
+You can generate the SSH key from the machine that GitLab Runner is installed
+on, and use that key for all projects that are run on this machine.
+
+1. First, log in to the server that runs your jobs.
+
+1. Then, from the terminal, log in as the `gitlab-runner` user:
+
+ ```shell
+ sudo su - gitlab-runner
+ ```
+
+1. Generate the SSH key pair as described in the instructions to
+ [generate an SSH key](../../ssh/README.md#generate-an-ssh-key-pair).
+ **Do not** add a passphrase to the SSH key, or the `before_script` will
+ prompt for it.
+
+1. As a final step, add the _public_ key from the one you created earlier to the
+ services that you want to have an access to from within the build environment.
+ If you are accessing a private GitLab repository you need to add it as a
+ [deploy key](../../ssh/README.md#deploy-keys).
+
+After generating the key, try to sign in to the remote server to accept the
+fingerprint:
+
+```shell
+ssh example.com
+```
+
+For accessing repositories on GitLab.com, you would use `git@gitlab.com`.
+
+## Verifying the SSH host keys
+
+It is a good practice to check the private server's own public key to make sure
+you are not being targeted by a man-in-the-middle attack. If anything
+suspicious happens, you notice it because the job fails (the SSH
+connection fails when the public keys don't match).
+
+To find out the host keys of your server, run the `ssh-keyscan` command from a
+trusted network (ideally, from the private server itself):
+
+```shell
+## Use the domain name
+ssh-keyscan example.com
+
+## Or use an IP
+ssh-keyscan 1.2.3.4
+```
+
+Create a new [CI/CD variable](../variables/README.md) with
+`SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS` as "Key", and as a "Value" add the output of `ssh-keyscan`.
+
+If you need to connect to multiple servers, all the server host keys
+need to be collected in the **Value** of the variable, one key per line.
+
+NOTE:
+By using a variable instead of `ssh-keyscan` directly inside
+`.gitlab-ci.yml`, it has the benefit that you don't have to change `.gitlab-ci.yml`
+if the host domain name changes for some reason. Also, the values are predefined
+by you, meaning that if the host keys suddenly change, the CI/CD job doesn't fail,
+so there's something wrong with the server or the network.
+
+Now that the `SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS` variable is created, in addition to the
+[content of `.gitlab-ci.yml`](#ssh-keys-when-using-the-docker-executor)
+above, here's what more you need to add:
+
+```yaml
+before_script:
+ ##
+ ## Assuming you created the SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS variable, uncomment the
+ ## following two lines.
+ ##
+ - echo "$SSH_KNOWN_HOSTS" >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
+ - chmod 644 ~/.ssh/known_hosts
+
+ ##
+ ## Alternatively, use ssh-keyscan to scan the keys of your private server.
+ ## Replace example.com with your private server's domain name. Repeat that
+ ## command if you have more than one server to connect to.
+ ##
+ # - ssh-keyscan example.com >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts
+ # - chmod 644 ~/.ssh/known_hosts
+
+ ##
+ ## You can optionally disable host key checking. Be aware that by adding that
+ ## you are susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks.
+ ## WARNING: Use this only with the Docker executor, if you use it with shell
+ ## you will overwrite your user's SSH config.
+ ##
+ # - '[[ -f /.dockerenv ]] && echo -e "Host *\n\tStrictHostKeyChecking no\n\n" >> ~/.ssh/config'
+```
+
+## Example project
+
+We have set up an [Example SSH Project](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-examples/ssh-private-key/) for your convenience
+that runs on [GitLab.com](https://gitlab.com) using our publicly available
+[shared runners](../runners/README.md).
+
+Want to hack on it? Simply fork it, commit and push your changes. Within a few
+moments the changes is picked by a public runner and the job starts.