How to connect to a server via SSH

Most control panels provide a convenient and intuitive interface for managing the server. However, they do not provide full control over the VPS. If you need to correct configuration files, install software packages, configure security or automation, then you cannot do without SSH access.

In this article we will look at what SSH is and how to quickly set up a connection on modern desktop operating systems.

What is SSH and why is it needed?

SSH (Secure shell) is a protocol for secure access to a server over the network. Using it, you can manage the server as if you were directly in front of it in the data center. Although in reality you may be separated by thousands of kilometers.

At the same time, the word “secure” is not in vain used in the name of the protocol — all logins, passwords, commands and other valuable information are transmitted only in secure video. Thanks to its convenience, security and simplicity, SSH has become an industry standard and almost the main tool for manual server management.

Setup and connection via SSH

As a rule, SSH support is available in all modern operating systems. Therefore, you don’t need to install anything to connect. It will be enough to follow a few simple steps:

1. Open your SSH application (called Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell on Windows, Terminal on macOS and Linux)

If you are unsure whether you really have SSH installed on your system, run this command:

ssh -v

The console will display the SSH version or a message stating that the protocol is not installed on the computer.

2. Enter the command

Figure1

PH C:Usersvikto> ssh root@193

Most virtual servers use root as their name.

3. If this is your first time connecting to the server via SSH, you will see a message like this:

Figure2

Don’t panic — this is a normal security check. The SSH client reports that it does not yet know this server and shows its fingerprint. This is to make sure that you are really connecting to your server and not to some other one.

If you are sure of the IP address, simply type yes and press Enter. Next time this message will not appear.

4. Enter the server password.

You may have to enter the command again after the initial security check from the first point ssh user@server-ip-address — take this into account.

5. Done — you have access to the server via SSH!

Now you can install the software and work with the system.  Here are some basic Linux commands:

→  ls — show a list of files in the current directory;

→ cd /path/ — go to the specified directory;

→ nano filename — open the file in a text editor;

→ apt update && apt upgrade — update installed programs;

→ top — view the download in the task manager;

→ reboot — reboot the server.

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