OpenSSH's Drunken Bishop Algorithm: Visualizing Public Key Fingerprints
2025-08-20
OpenSSH uses a clever algorithm called "Drunken Bishop" to visualize public key fingerprints. Based on random art principles, it translates the key hash into a bishop's movements on a board, resulting in an ASCII art representation. This allows users to easily spot key changes visually. The feature is controlled by the VisualHostKey flag, enabling it through config files or command-line options. The article also details its implementation in the Factor programming language.
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