SSH Keys

iForge uses application-level SSH to implement the Git SSH protocol, independent of the system sshd.

How It Works

Comparison	Application-level SSH (iForge)	Native sshd
Implementation	Go built-in SSH server	System sshd process
Key Storage	Database	~/.ssh/authorized_keys
Key Management	Add/delete via Web UI	Manually edit files
Public Key Lookup	Database query for user	File system lookup
Port	Configurable (default 2022)	22

Add SSH Key

1. Generate key pair (if you don't have one yet):

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-email@example.com"

2. Copy public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

3. Add in iForge:
   • Go to "Settings" → "SSH Keys"
   • Paste public key, click "Add"

Clone with SSH

Non-standard Port (e.g., 2022)

git clone ssh://git@your-host:2022/owner/repo.git

Standard Port 22 (SCP-like Format)

When the SSH port is configured as 22, the clone URL automatically converts to a concise SCP-like format:

git clone git@your-host:owner/repo.git

Auto Conversion Rules

• When port is 22: Automatically omit ssh:// prefix and port number, convert to git@host:owner/repo.git
• When port is not 22: Keep ssh://git@host:port/owner/repo.git format

Port Configuration

Set in .env or docker-compose.yml:

IFORGE_SSH_ENABLED=true
IFORGE_SSH_PORT=2022   # Change to 22 to use standard port and enable SCP-like format

Port Conflict

If sshd (port 22) is already running on the host, iForge SSH cannot use port 22 at the same time. Solutions:

1. Change sshd port, iForge uses 22
2. Or iForge uses a non-22 port (e.g., 2022)

Custom Clone URL Template

Administrators can customize the SSH clone URL prefix template in "System Settings" → "Repository Settings":

• Template variables: {host}, {port}
• Example: ssh://git@{host}:{port} → Automatically generate complete clone URL
• Automatically converts to SCP-like format when port is 22