Adds the documenation for ssh keys

content/en/docs/cluster/private-repositories.md

@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+---
+title: "Private repositories"
+description: "Configure user supplied SSH keys for private repository measurements"
+date: 2026-04-27T00:00:00+00:00
+weight: 1006
+---
+
+GMT can use SSH keys submitted by users through the Dashboard or the command line when measuring private Git repositories in a cluster setup.
+
+There are two different key types involved, and they are used on different machines:
+
+- The GMT Dashboard server uses an RSA PEM public key configured in `config.yml` to encrypt user supplied SSH keys before storing them.
+- Each runner or cluster machine that executes measurements uses the matching RSA PEM private key configured in `config.yml` to decrypt the stored SSH key before cloning a repository.
+- The user submits an OpenSSH private key through the Dashboard or command line. This is the key used by Git, through ssh, when cloning the measured repository.
+
+We do this so that when the Dashboard machine or the database is leaked we do not expose any SSH keys.
+
+Do not mix these formats. The encryption keys configured in `config.yml` must be RSA PEM files. The user supplied SSH key submitted through the Dashboard or passed on the command line must be an OpenSSH private key block.
+
+## Configure the web server to accept SSH keys from users
+
+On the GMT Dashboard server, configure an RSA PEM-format public key in `config.yml`:
+
+```yml
+security:
+  encryption_public_key_file: /var/www/green-metrics-tool/.rsa/public_key.pem
+```
+
+Create the RSA key pair with:
+
+```bash
+# Generate private key (2048-bit)
+openssl genpkey -algorithm RSA -out private_key.pem -pkeyopt rsa_keygen_bits:2048
+
+# Extract public key
+openssl rsa -pubout -in private_key.pem -out public_key.pem
+```
+
+Recommended placement on the Dashboard server:
+
+```bash
+mkdir -p /var/www/green-metrics-tool/.rsa/
+mv public_key.pem /var/www/green-metrics-tool/.rsa/public_key.pem
+chmod 755 /var/www/green-metrics-tool/.rsa/public_key.pem
+```
+
+The file must be readable by the GMT API process. In the default container setup the Gunicorn container runs as root, and a restrictive mode such as `400` can make the mounted file unreadable inside the container. Use `755` for the public key file.
+
+## Configure runners to use submitted SSH keys
+
+On each runner that needs to execute jobs with user supplied SSH keys, configure the matching RSA PEM-format private key in `config.yml`:
+
+```yml
+security:
+  encryption_private_key_file: /path/to/repo/rsa/private_key.pem
+```
+
+The private key must match the public key configured as `security.encryption_public_key_file` on the GMT Dashboard server. Keep this private key available only to runner or cluster machines that execute measurements and to administrators who need runner access.
+
+## Allow users to save SSH keys
+
+To submit an SSH key through the Dashboard, the user must be allowed to update the `ssh_private_key` setting. This is controlled through the user's `capabilities` JSON:
+
+```json
+{
+  "user": {
+    "updateable_settings": [
+      "ssh_private_key"
+    ]
+  }
+}
+```
+
+The Dashboard also needs access to the settings API routes:
+
+```json
+{
+  "api": {
+    "routes": [
+      "/v1/user/setting",
+      "/v1/user/settings"
+    ]
+  }
+}
+```
+
+The default seeded user includes this capability. For existing or restricted users, add `ssh_private_key` to `user.updateable_settings`; otherwise the Dashboard will reject the setting update.
+
+## Submit a user SSH key through the Dashboard
+
+Users can add their repository SSH key in the Dashboard under:
+
+```text
+/settings.html
+```
+
+Paste an OpenSSH private key block into the SSH private key setting. This key is used by the runner for Git clone operations.
+
+The Dashboard key should look like:
+
+```text
+-----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
+...
+-----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
+```
+
+After saving the setting, new measurements for private Git repositories can use the stored SSH key.
+
+## Use an SSH key from the command line
+
+When running a measurement directly with `runner.py`, pass the OpenSSH private key file with `--ssh-private-key`:
+
+```bash
+python3 runner.py \
+  --uri git@github.com:example/private-repository.git \
+  --filename usage_scenario.yml \
+  --ssh-private-key ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
+```