The SSH key at order time and “key-only” servers

The “Cheie SSH pentru server” (SSH key for the server) step is part of ordering a server on blackbox.md (blackbox.md/checkout/plan/…). In this step, you attach public SSH keys so you can connect to the new server without a password, and you choose whether the server is created as “key-only”. You reach it after you click “Comandă” (Order) on the plan's card and go through the previous steps (see the table below).

Available to: any customer signed in to blackbox.md, when ordering a new server.

The blackbox.md website is available in Romanian and Russian; this article quotes the Romanian labels with their English meaning.

When the step appears

After this step, the order is created right away (you see “Se plasează comanda…” (Placing your order…)) and you move on to payment. The keys can no longer be changed on an order that has been placed; you manage them later from the panel (see below).

Prepare your public key

When you order, you provide only the public part of the key: the file with the .pub extension. If you don't have a key pair, follow Generating an SSH key (Windows, macOS, Linux). To choose your key with a single click, save it beforehand in “Contul meu” (My account) → “Chei SSH” (SSH keys) (see SSH keys in your account (blackbox.md)).

To display your public key on Linux or macOS:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

On Windows (PowerShell):

Get-Content $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub

The line starts with the key type, for example ssh-ed25519 AAAA… comment. Accepted types:

Other types (for example DSA, ssh-dss) are not accepted.

Warning Never paste your private key (the file without .pub, or text that starts with -----BEGIN). The page rejects it with the message “Aceasta pare a fi o cheie privată sau mai multe linii. Lipiți O SINGURĂ linie de cheie publică SSH.” (This looks like a private key or several lines. Paste ONE line of a public SSH key.) Your private key stays only on your computer.

How to attach keys

1. Click “Comandă” (Order) on the plan's card. If you are not signed in, you sign in first and are then brought back to the order automatically.
2. Go through the previous steps: “Sistem de operare” (Operating system) (VPS plans only) and “Date de facturare” (Billing details), with “Continuă” (Continue) or “Continuă fără date de facturare” (Continue without billing details).
3. In the “Cheie SSH pentru server” (SSH key for the server) step, which says “Atașați o cheie SSH pentru a vă conecta la server fără parolă. Puteți omite acest pas.” (Attach an SSH key to connect to the server without a password. You can skip this step.), choose your keys:
   • under “Chei salvate” (Saved keys), check one or more keys; each row shows the name, the type and the beginning of the fingerprint (this block appears only if you have keys saved in “Chei SSH” (SSH keys));
   • and/or paste a public key into the “Sau lipiți o cheie publică SSH” (Or paste a public SSH key) field (a single line).
4. The “Dezactivează autentificarea prin parolă (doar cheie SSH)” (Disable password authentication (SSH key only)) box is checked automatically when you check or paste the first key. Leave it checked for a “key-only” server, or uncheck it to keep password login as well.
5. Click “Continuă”. “Se plasează comanda…” (Placing your order…) appears, followed by the payment page.

You can attach at most 10 keys per order in total (checked and pasted together). The “Gestionează cheile SSH →” (Manage SSH keys →) link opens “Chei SSH” in a new tab. The attached keys are installed for the root user together with their comment, so you can easily recognize them on the server.

What “key-only” means

The “Password + key” badge means that password login is allowed. The box stays disabled as long as you haven't chosen any key: a “key-only” server without a key would be unreachable.

A “key-only” server also has a root password. The hint “Parola de consolă rămâne disponibilă în panou.” (The console password remains available in the panel.) means that the password is saved in the panel: you can see it with “Reveal credentials” on the server card in “My Servers” (see Showing root credentials). It does not work over SSH until you click “Enable password login” on the same card. To check the effective value on the server:

sshd -T | grep -i passwordauthentication

On a “key-only” server, the result is passwordauthentication no.

What you receive by email

When the server is ready, you receive the email “Serverul dvs. este gata — BBX-…” (Your server is ready — BBX-…); the number at the end looks like BBX-2026-000123. What it contains depends on the mode you chose:

• key-only: the “Autentificare” (Authentication) row with the text “Cheie SSH — autentificarea cu parolă este dezactivată” (SSH key — password authentication is disabled), then “Amprente chei” (Key fingerprints), with one SHA256:… fingerprint for each key. The password does not appear in the email.
• with a password: the “Utilizator” (User) row (root) and the “Parolă” (Password) row (the root password). Change the password after you first log in and set up an SSH key.

Compare the fingerprint in the email with your key's fingerprint. On Linux or macOS:

ssh-keygen -lf ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

On Windows (PowerShell):

ssh-keygen -lf $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub

Then connect (details in Connecting to your server over SSH (Windows, macOS, Linux)):

ssh root@SERVER_IP

Note The email for “key-only” mode mentions a VNC console. Customers have no web or VNC console: the server can be accessed only over SSH. If you can no longer connect, write to us.

Changes after you order

Everything is done on the server card in the app.blackbox.md panel → “My Servers”:

The steps are in Adding and removing SSH keys on the server and Enabling and disabling SSH password login. In “Installed keys” you also see “Management key (blackbox.md)”. Do not remove it from the server: the panel buttons depend on it. See BLACKBOX keys on your server.

Tip Keep a backup copy of your private key in a safe place. On a “key-only” server, you cannot connect over SSH without it. If you have lost it, follow Lost access to your server (password or key).

Possible errors

The first two messages appear right in the step, before the order is placed. The others appear on the “Eroare la plasarea comenzii” (Error placing the order) screen, and the order is not created.

“Încearcă din nou” (Try again) sends the same keys again, so the error repeats. Reload the page instead: the steps start over and you can correct the keys. Other order errors are covered in Errors when placing an order and what they mean.

Frequently asked questions

Can I order without an SSH key? Yes. Click “Continuă fără cheie” (Continue without a key). The root password comes by email and is also in the panel, and you can add keys at any time with “Add SSH key”.

I added a key in “Chei SSH” (SSH keys), but it doesn't appear in the step. Why? The list loads when the step opens. Reload the order page (the steps start over), or paste the key into the “Sau lipiți o cheie publică SSH” (Or paste a public SSH key) field.

If I delete the key from “Chei SSH”, is it also removed from the server? No. Keys that are already installed stay on the server. To remove a key from the server, click “Add SSH key” on the server card, then “Remove” in the “Installed keys” list.

Can I use the same key for several servers? Yes. A saved key can be attached to any number of orders.

My first connection fails right after the email arrives. What should I do? The email can arrive before SSH has started on the server. Wait a few minutes and try again.