Review the follow-up on Git unlink actions.
Review the follow-up on Git unlink actions.
The answer suggests the keys are likely not used by system applications. It mentions they could be stored in ~/.ssh and doesn't indicate automatic usage by software. You probably only need to worry about them if you're certain they weren't used elsewhere.
By default, these tools are common in any application that relies on SSH for remote connections. For instance git, ssh, scp are typical examples. Unless you're using them, they won't be present. Because they're small text files, removing them won't cause major issues. If you still want to delete them but aren't sure they're essential: rename them or transfer them to a USB drive or backup. Once you haven't encountered any problems over time, it's safe to permanently remove them.
You can launch them using any text editor (such as VS Code). The exact details vary a bit based on the format (ed25519, RSA, etc.), but their main role remains consistent. id_<format>.pub holds the public key, while the file without the extension contains the matching private key. These are essential for asymmetric encryption and often used in secure password-less authentication methods like Git or SSH. It’s safe to store them. For instance, with ed25519 the public key file should resemble: ssh-ed25519 [256 bit public key] <your-email-here> and the private key file should start with: -----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY----- [512 bit private key] -----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----