How to Connect to Your VPS via SSH

SSH (Secure Shell) is the standard way to access and manage your Linux cloud server remotely. This guide covers everything from generating your SSH key to logging in for the first time.

What Is SSH?

SSH is an encrypted protocol that lets you control your server from your computer's terminal (command line). Think of it as a secure remote control for your server.

Part 1: Generate an SSH Key (Recommended)

SSH keys are more secure than passwords. For a deeper walkthrough, see the SSH keys guide. If you already have one, skip to Part 2.

On macOS / Linux

Open your terminal and run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

• Press Enter to accept the default file location (~/.ssh/id_ed25519)
• Optionally set a passphrase for extra security

Your keys are saved at:

• Private key: ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 - keep this secret, never share it
• Public key: ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub - this is what you give to your server

To view your public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Copy the output - it starts with ssh-ed25519 AAAA...

On Windows

Option A: Windows Terminal / PowerShell (Windows 10/11)

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

Follow the same steps as above. Keys are saved in C:\Users\YourName\.ssh\.

Option B: PuTTY

1. Download PuTTYgen
2. Select EdDSA and click Generate
3. Move your mouse to generate randomness
4. Save your private key (.ppk file)
5. Copy the public key from the text box at the top

Part 2: Add Your Public Key to the Server

When creating your server, paste your public key into the SSH Key field in your control panel. This is the recommended approach.

If your server is already running, add the key manually:

# On the server (logged in as root via password)
mkdir -p ~/.ssh
echo "YOUR_PUBLIC_KEY_HERE" >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 700 ~/.ssh
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys

Part 3: Connect to Your Server

macOS / Linux / Windows Terminal

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Replace YOUR_SERVER_IP with your server's IPv4 address (e.g. 123.45.67.89).

If you used a non-default key file:

ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Windows with PuTTY

1. Open PuTTY
2. Enter your server's IP in Host Name
3. Go to Connection → SSH → Auth and browse to your .ppk private key file
4. Click Open

Part 4: First-Time Connection

On your first connection, you'll see a message like:

The authenticity of host '123.45.67.89' can't be established.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting? (yes/no)

Type yes and press Enter. This adds your server to your list of known hosts.

Useful SSH Tips

Create a Shortcut (SSH Config)

Edit or create ~/.ssh/config on your local machine:

Host myserver
  HostName 123.45.67.89
  User root
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Now you can connect with just:

ssh myserver

Copy Files to/from the Server (SCP)

# Upload a file to the server
scp localfile.txt root@YOUR_SERVER_IP:/home/

# Download a file from the server
scp root@YOUR_SERVER_IP:/home/file.txt ./

Keep Sessions Alive

Add this to your ~/.ssh/config to prevent timeouts:

Host *
  ServerAliveInterval 60

Troubleshooting

Questions? Email us at [email protected] - we reply in under 2 hours, 7 days a week.