# 4.5-Creating an AWS Key Pair

## First contact with AWS EC2 Console

Let's head over to the **EC2 Console** (EC2 is in the _**Compute**_ section); I highlighted the different sections that we'll use in the future :

![](https://681104499-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LhjKavWMofrik61tHfB%2F-Livh4y1wyZZt0vO8Eun%2F-LiwLFX0MlqtgtPTQpCr%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=c3ca2e18-b8f9-4e23-8c8f-843de9818cf9)

## Creating our Key Pair

An AWS key pair (public+private key) is mandatory to access a virtual server and must exist or be created at launch time.

If you don't intend to interactively connect to your server, you will not use it, but it has to be created nevertheless, so let's first _check we are still in our AWS Region of choice_...

Then use "**Key Pairs**", and click the tempting "**Create Key Pair**" button, which gives :

![](https://681104499-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LhjKavWMofrik61tHfB%2F-Livh4y1wyZZt0vO8Eun%2F-LiwQ5dotUoQ8QW0MSdL%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=39f0c91a-983e-432a-99fe-a0d7973da1de)

Enter a **Key pair name** of your choice as above and click "**Create**"...

AWS will generate a public+private key pair for you, and your web browser should automatically download the file to your machine :

![](https://681104499-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LhjKavWMofrik61tHfB%2F-Livh4y1wyZZt0vO8Eun%2F-LiwQJszoyJ-kpGAEK_a%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=14d4b718-b231-44ef-bc7d-b1345efc7082)

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Lets move it** from our _Downloads_ folder **to somewhere we have a chance to find it in the future !**...
{% endhint %}

I'll store it in my **`T:\fg-ovpn\MY-FG-OVPN`** folder :

![Keeping our AWS key pair safe](https://681104499-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LhjKavWMofrik61tHfB%2F-Livh4y1wyZZt0vO8Eun%2F-LiwRNuFGxITxgFGJROf%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=e996766e-8667-4a45-a2e6-9d72fdd4f01c)

_We are not planning to use it, but if needed, it's safely stored here !_

