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# How to connect to ClickHouse using SSH keys

> How to connect to ClickHouse and ClickHouse Cloud using SSH Keys

{frontMatter.description}

<h2 id="question">
  Question
</h2>

How can I connect to ClickHouse using SSH Key Authentication?

<Note>
  We use ClickHouse Cloud as an example here, but this example should also work on oss ClickHouse.
</Note>

<Frame>
  <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Rhe-kUyrFUE?si=JgcAusW1TcEyRqPr" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen />
</Frame>

<h2 id="answer">
  Answer
</h2>

1. Use ssh-keygen to create the keypair. Example:

```
➜  new ssh-keygen \
-t ed25519 \
> -f /Users/testuser/.ssh/ch_key
Generating public/private ed25519 key pair.
Enter passphrase (empty for no passphrase):
Enter same passphrase again:
Your identification has been saved in /Users/testuser/.ssh/ch_key
Your public key has been saved in /Users/testuser/.ssh/ch_key.pub
.....
```

2. Use the public key (ch\_key.pub in above example) to create the USER.

```sql theme={null}
clickhouse-cloud :) CREATE USER abcuser IDENTIFIED WITH ssh_key BY KEY 'AAAABBBcdE1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIISdl4CrGM8mckXBUXLjL3ef9XwnycDWEvBPu3toB40m' TYPE 'ssh-ed25519';

CREATE USER abcuser IDENTIFIED WITH ssh_key BY KEY AAAABBBcdE1lZDI1NTE5AAAAIISdl4CrGM8mckXBUXLjL3ef9XwnycDWEvBPu3toB40m TYPE `ssh-ed25519`

Query id: 34c6aad6-5f88-4c80-af7a-7d37c91ba7d5

Ok.
```

3. Run `SHOW users` to confirm the user creation.

4. Grant default\_role to the user (optional).

```sql theme={null}
clickhouse-cloud :) grant default_role to abcuser;

GRANT default_role TO abcuser

Query id: 4a054003-220a-4dea-8e8d-eb1f08ee7b10

Ok.

0 rows in set. Elapsed: 0.137 sec.
```

5. Use the private key now to authenticate against the service.

```sql theme={null}
➜  new ./clickhouse client --host myhost.us-central1.gcp.clickhouse.cloud --secure --user abcuser --ssh-key-file '/Users/testuser/.ssh/ch_key'
ClickHouse client version 23.12.1.863 (official build).
Enter your private key passphrase (leave empty for no passphrase):
Connecting to myhost.us-central1.gcp.clickhouse.cloud:9440 as user abcuser.
Connected to ClickHouse server version 23.9.2.

clickhouse-cloud :) select currentUser();

SELECT currentUser()

Query id: d4b6bb60-ef45-47d3-8740-db9f2941dcd2

┌─currentUser()─┐
│ abcuser       │
└───────────────┘

1 row in set. Elapsed: 0.001 sec.

clickhouse-cloud :)
```