Skip to main content

Connect with SSH

You can manage your Linux instance from a terminal using SSH. You can either connect directly from your terminal or use a dedicated SSH client such as PuTTY.

This guide covers password and key-based logins, where to find your connection details, and the common things to check if a connection is refused.

Required Information​

To log in to your instance via SSH, you will need:

  • IP address of your instance
  • Default username (for example, ubuntu or root, depending on the template)
  • Password — only if you are not using an SSH key. You can reveal it on the Instance Overview page.
info

You can find the IP address on the Virtual Machine card after creation. Hover over it to copy it quickly, or click the VM name to open its full overview.

Connecting from the Terminal​

1. Open your terminal​

  • Windows: use Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Git Bash
  • macOS / Linux: use the built-in Terminal app

2. Connect with a password​

Replace the placeholders with your instance's username and public IP:

ssh username@public_ip_address

For example:

ssh ubuntu@203.0.113.42

The first time you connect, you will be asked to confirm the server's fingerprint — type yes to continue. When prompted, enter the password from the Instance Overview.

If you added an SSH key when creating the instance, point to your private key with the -i flag:

ssh -i /path/to/your_private_key username@public_ip_address

If you see a "permissions are too open" warning, tighten the key's permissions and try again:

chmod 600 /path/to/your_private_key
tip

Key-based authentication is more secure than passwords. For production instances, we recommend disabling password login once your key is working.

Connecting with PuTTY (Windows)​

If you prefer a graphical client on Windows:

  1. Download and open PuTTY.
  2. In Host Name, enter username@public_ip_address.
  3. Leave the Port as 22 and the connection type as SSH.
  4. (Optional, for key-based login) Go to Connection > SSH > Auth and load your private key in .ppk format. Use PuTTYgen to convert an OpenSSH key to .ppk if needed.
  5. Click Open and accept the security alert on the first connection.

Make Sure Port 22 Is Reachable​

SSH uses port 22. If your connection times out, confirm the port is open to your instance through the Cloud Management Portal:

  1. Open your VM in the Cloud Management Portal.
  2. Go to Networking > Port Forwarding (or Firewall).
  3. Ensure a rule allows TCP traffic on port 22 to your instance's private IP.

For more detail, see Firewall Configuration and Port Forwarding.

Troubleshooting​

  • Connection refused or timed out — check that the VM is running, has a public IP, and that port 22 is open (see above).
  • Permission denied (publickey) — you are using the wrong key or username, or password login is disabled. Confirm the username matches the template (for example, ubuntu for Ubuntu images).
  • Host key verification failed — the server's key has changed (for example, after a rebuild). Remove the old entry with ssh-keygen -R public_ip_address and reconnect.

✅ Conclusion​

Once connected, you have full command-line access to your instance. To keep that access secure: