Smartcards for storing gpg/ssh keys (Linux) - what do I need?

Posted by Ninefingers on Super User See other posts from Super User or by Ninefingers
Published on 2010-04-14T21:22:16Z Indexed on 2010/04/14 21:33 UTC
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Filed under:

smartcard

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linux

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gpg

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ssh

Hi All,

I'm interested in storing my SSH keys and gpg keys on a smartcard for added security. However, I'm a bit uncertain on a few points, which are as follows:

How many keys can I get on a card? I assume both SSH and GPG can store keys on the card.
Is there a limit to key size? I see a lot of cards saying they support 2048-bit keys, what about larger sizes?
Hardware: can anyone recommend a card/reader combination that works well? I've done a fair amount of research and it seems PC/SC readers can be a bit iffy - is this your experience?
Have I missed anything I should be asking? Are there any other hurdles?

I'm aware fsf europe give away cards with membership - I'm not sure I want to join, but... are these cards any good?

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