SFTP Certificate Setup

If you selected the Use certificate checkbox for the SFTP settings, this means you can use a digital certificate with public key authentication on your SSH server. These instructions are for installing the HOBOlink-generated public to your OpenSSH server. If your SSH server uses other software or you are not authorized to log into the server, consult your IT administrator for help.

  1. Log into the SSH server.
  2. Go to the .ssh subdirectory of your account's home directory or create one if needed. (You may need to show hidden files if you are not able to view the .ssh directory.) The recommended permissions for the .ssh directory is 700.
  3. Open the authorized_keys file for editing or create one if needed. The recommended permissions for the file is 600.
  4. In HOBOlink, go to the FTP or SFTP settings (under User Settings > Export or when setting up data delivery). Make sure all fields are completed for SFTP and the Use certificate checkbox is enabled.
  5. Click Download Public Key. Copy the generated key to your clipboard.
  6. Return to the authorized_keys file and paste the key into the file. Make sure all the text from copied key is in one line in the file and save the file.
  7. Make sure your account home directory, your .ssh directory, and the authorized keys file are not group-writable or world-writable.
  8. Test the connection in HOBOlink.
  9. Save the SFTP settings in HOBOlink.