When working with remote servers, especially on AWS, you will receive a .pem key file for SSH access. However, a .ppk (PuTTY Private Key) file is needed for applications like PuTTY, which is widely used on Windows.
1. To convert PEM to PPK, install PuTTY Tools on a Linux desktop or server.
Run the following command
Open Terminal (ctrl + t)
on Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install putty-tools
on RedHat/CentOS.
sudo yum install putty
Converting PEM to PPK
puttygen your-key.pem -o your-key.ppk
Replace your-key.pem with the name of your actual PEM file. This command will create a new.ppk file in the same directory.
2. Windows PEM to PPK Conversion
Step 1: First, download and install PuTTYgen.
- Get PuTTYgen.
- Start PuTTYgen
Step 2: Open the PEM file
- Launch PuTTYgen.
- Select “Load.”
- Choose “All Files (*.*)” from the file type dropdown.
- Select your.pem file.
Step 3: Save as a PPK
- Select “Save private key.”
- Setting a passphrase is optional.
- Use the.ppk extension to save it.
Advice on Security
Your keys should always be kept in safe, restricted-access locations. In production settings, don’t use private keys without a passphrase.
Verify that the file permissions are limited:
chmod 400 your-key.pem
chmod 600 your-key.ppk