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Getting Started with SSH

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Michael M.
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SSH (Secure SHell) is natively installed on all OVHcloud servers. The purpose of this article is to teach you how to use SSH to securely access your server(s) remotely.

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Software Compatible with SSH

Many software applications enable you to connect to your server(s) via SSH. To help you, here are some examples for each of the three major operating systems:

On Windows:

For the latest Windows 10 and Windows Server versions, developer mode gives you access to a BASH (Bourne Again SHell) console. For more information, please review Microsoft's documentation.

On MacOS:

  • The Terminal tool is delivered with macOS, and is automatically installed on the machine

On Linux:

  • The Console or Terminal tool is natively installed
  • For managing multiple tabs, the Terminator terminal emulator can be installed. You can read an Ubuntu manual page for Terminator here
  • OpenSSH (Free)

Connecting to Your Server via SSH

To connect to your machine via SSH, you will need two details:

  • the server’s IPv4 address or an address (domain/subdomain) that resolves to the server's IP address
  • the server’s root password (received by email when it was set up)

From the Terminal, connect using the following command:

$ ssh root@server_IP

Or this:

$ ssh root@server_name

The following message will appear:

The authenticity of host servername (server_IP) can’t be established.
RSA key fingerprint is a9:bb:55:35:86:xx:xx:00:xx:00:2b:2c:79:10:96:3c.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? YES
Warning: Permanently added servername, server_IP (RSA) to the list of known hosts.
Password:
root@server_name:~#

When you first connect, your SSH client will receive an SSH key fingerprint, which is a fingerprint of the server you are connecting to. This is verified for each new connection. If the fingerprint changes, you will be informed, and this will mean something has changed:

  • The machine has been reinstalled
  • The SSH server has been reinstalled
  • You are connecting to another machine

When you first connect, you must accept the fingerprint that will be saved onto your desktop by your SSH client. Now you are connected to your server via a secure connection through SSH.

Conclusion

Connecting to your server via SSH is a painless, secure process. For more information on working with SSH keys, please check out our How to Use SSH Keys article.

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