Search Our Database

How to Login to Your Linux Instance via SSH

Last updated on |
by

Overview

This tutorial will guide you through on how to access your Linux Instance via SSH client and your private key.

 

Prerequisite

  • Downloaded the private key when you launch your first Instance. Note: If you used your own key-pair during Instance creation, please use the same private key for this tutorial.
  • (Optional) Have PuTTY installed. You can download and install PuTTY from here. Note: You can use any SSH client as you like. We will be using PuTTY for our tutorial.
  • (Optional) Convert your private key file to .ppk format. You may refer to the tutorial here if you have not done so. Note: You only need to convert your private key to .ppk format if you are using PuTTY.

 

Instructions

Step 1: Open PuTTY (from the Start menu, choose All Programs > PuTTY > PuTTY).

 

Step 2: In the Category pane, select Session and in the Host Name box, enter 

user_name

@

public_dns_name

.

Note: You may need to specify the appropriate user name for the connection. You can also use an IP address instead of host name (for example, root@103.57.189.243).

 

Step 3: Under Port , make sure the connection port is 22.

Note: Port 22 is the default port for SSH connection.

 

Step 4: For the Connection type options, choose SSH.

 

Step 5: Under the Connection settings, expand the SSH tab by clicking on the “+“.

 

Step 6: Under the expanded the SSH tab, select Auth.

 

Step 7: Under the Private key file for authentication, Browse for your .ppk private key file.

 

Step 8: Browse to the location where you keep your key file, select the .ppk and Open.

 

Step 9: In the Category pane, go back to the Session tab.

 

Step 10: In the box under the Saved Sessions, enter a name for this connection and Save.

Note: You only need to save the settings once. On subsequent login, skip this step.

 

Step 11: Click Open to establish a SSH connection to your remote server.

Note: On subsequent logins, you can Load the settings from the Saved Sessions before you click Open.

 

Step 12: Choose Yes for the security alert to acknowledge the warning.

Note: This alert will only appear during your first connection.

 

Step 13: Login as default user (NOTE: This user depends on the Image you launch your instance with!).

Ubuntu: ubuntu

Debian: debian

CentOS : centos

CentOS Stream 8 : centos

CentOS Stream 9 : cloud-user

RedHat Enterprise Linux 8 : cloud-user

RedHat Enterprise Linux 9 : cloud-user

AlmaLinux: almalinux

RockyLinux: rockylinux (before 26/04/2023) / rocky (from 26/04/2023)

OpenSUSE: opensuse

Fedora: fedora

FreeBSD: freebsd

 

Note: Your login is authenticated with key-pair, no password is required.

 

Step 14: In order to make changes to the system, you need to gain root privilege by switching to the root user. In the terminal, type “sudo su –“.

 

Result

You are now connected to your Linux instance with root access. If your instance is Windows-based, follow the Remote Desktop Connection tutorial here.