How to connect to your Cloud Server

Once your Linux server is running you connect to it over SSH using the key you selected when you created it. Three things need to be in place first: a public address, port 22 open, and the private half of your SSH key on your computer.

Get the basics in place

1. Give the server a public address if it does not have one yet. See Give your server a public address. Note the Floating IP, for example 41.90.10.12.
2. Open port 22 on the server's security group. See How to open a port on your server.

Connect from your computer

• Mac or Linux: open a terminal and run ssh -i /path/to/your-key.pem ubuntu@41.90.10.12, replacing the key path, user, and IP with your own.
• Windows: use the built-in ssh command in PowerShell with the same details, or the PuTTY app if you prefer a graphical client.

The login user depends on the operating system you chose:

Windows servers do not use SSH. Connect with Remote Desktop using the Administrator password instead.

If the connection times out, it is almost always the security group (port 22 not open) or a missing public address. Work through My server cannot be reached. If you see "permission denied (publickey)", you are using the wrong key or the wrong login user for that operating system. You can review and add keys under Cloud Servers, then SSH Keys.