# Connect to your Linux server with SSH > Log in to a new Linux VPS, VDS or dedicated server over SSH from Windows Terminal, PuTTY, macOS or Linux, check the host key and change the root password. Difficulty: Beginner\ Tested on: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, Debian 12, Debian 13, Windows 11, macOS Tahoe 26 SSH (Secure Shell) is how you manage a Linux server: it opens an encrypted terminal session on the server from your own computer. This guide takes you through your first login to a new HyperDC Linux VPS, VDS or dedicated server, from finding the login details to checking that you really reached your server. ## Before you start You need: - **Your server's login details.** We email them as soon as the server is ready: the IP address, the user name (usually `root`) and the password. The IP address and user name are also on the service page in the client area: **Services › My Services**, open the server, then look under **Server Information** (**Primary IP**, **Username**). - **A terminal with an SSH client.** Windows 10 and 11, macOS and Linux all include one. On Windows you can also use PuTTY. - **Network access to port 22.** Some office and public networks block outgoing SSH. If you cannot connect from one network, try another, for example a mobile hotspot. In the examples below, replace `203.0.113.10` with your server's IP address. ## Step 1: Open a terminal and connect Choose the tab for your computer. **Windows Terminal** Open **Windows Terminal** (or PowerShell) from the Start menu and run: ```bash ssh root@203.0.113.10 ``` If Windows answers that `ssh` is not recognized, install the OpenSSH client. Open PowerShell as an administrator and run: ```powershell Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name OpenSSH.Client~~~~0.0.1.0 ``` Then open a new terminal window and try again. **PuTTY** Download PuTTY only from its official website. Start it, then: 1. In **Host Name (or IP address)**, enter `203.0.113.10`. 2. Leave **Port** at `22` and **Connection type** at **SSH**. 3. Optional: type a name under **Saved Sessions** and click **Save**, so you can reconnect with a double-click. 4. Click **Open**. On the first connection PuTTY shows a security alert about the server's host key. Choose **Accept** after checking the fingerprint (Step 2), then log in as `root` with your password. **macOS** Open **Terminal** (Applications › Utilities, or press Command + Space and type Terminal) and run: ```bash ssh root@203.0.113.10 ``` **Linux** Open your terminal application and run: ```bash ssh root@203.0.113.10 ``` If the command is missing, install the OpenSSH client from your distribution, for example `sudo apt install openssh-client` on Ubuntu and Debian. If your server listens on a different SSH port, add it with `-p`, for example `ssh -p 2222 root@203.0.113.10`. ## Step 2: Check the host key and log in On the first connection, your SSH client cannot know the server yet, so it shows the server's host key fingerprint and asks whether to trust it: ```text The authenticity of host '203.0.113.10 (203.0.113.10)' can't be established. ED25519 key fingerprint is SHA256:2mI0p7Wb0tV5c9Qk3oXyQm0ZQ1u8s3Jd6l0v4WqT1nE. This key is not known by any other names. Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])? ``` The fingerprint proves which server you are talking to. If your service page offers a web console, you can open it, log in there and print the real fingerprint for comparison: ```bash ssh-keygen -lf /etc/ssh/ssh_host_ed25519_key.pub ``` When the fingerprints match, type `yes` and press Enter. Your computer stores the key in its list of known hosts and will warn you if it ever changes. Then enter the password from your welcome email. Nothing appears while you type; that is normal. **Verify:** a successful login ends at a prompt such as `root@srv12345678:~#`. Run these commands to confirm where you are: ```bash whoami hostname cat /etc/os-release ip -brief address ``` You should see `root`, your server's host name, the operating system you ordered and your server's IP address on the network interface. > **Tip** > > You can paste into the terminal: right-click in Windows Terminal and PuTTY, Command + V in macOS Terminal, Ctrl + Shift + V in most Linux terminals. ## Step 3: Change the root password The password in the welcome email has travelled by email, so replace it now with a long password of your own (a password manager can generate one): ```bash passwd ``` Enter the new password twice. **Verify:** the command ends with `password updated successfully`. ## Step 4: Have a quick look around These commands show how much disk space and memory the server has and how long it has been running: ```bash df -h / free -h uptime ``` When you are done, close the session with `exit`. If a session ever freezes, press Enter, then type `~.` to close it from your side. ## Troubleshooting **`Connection timed out`.** Your packets do not reach the server. Check the IP address, then test the port: `Test-NetConnection 203.0.113.10 -Port 22` in PowerShell, or `nc -vz 203.0.113.10 22` on macOS and Linux. If the port is closed from every network you try, the server may be stopped, still being set up, or a firewall rule may block SSH. See [SSH connection problems](/guides/ssh-connection-problems) and, if you changed the firewall, [locked out after a firewall change](/guides/locked-out-after-firewall-change). **`Connection refused`.** The server answered, but nothing listens on that port. The SSH service may be stopped or listening on another port. Log in through the web console if your service page offers one and run `systemctl status ssh`. **`Permission denied, please try again.`** The user name or password is wrong. Passwords are case-sensitive; paste the password again without extra spaces. If you have changed it and forgotten it, open a support ticket from the client area. **`Permission denied (publickey)`.** The server accepts SSH keys only, and your key was not accepted. See [SSH keys](/guides/ssh-keys) to add the right key. **`WARNING: REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED!`** The server's host key is different from the one your computer stored. This is expected after you reinstall the operating system; otherwise treat it as a warning sign and check with us. After a reinstall, remove the old key and connect again: ```bash ssh-keygen -R 203.0.113.10 ``` For more detail on any failure, connect with `ssh -v root@203.0.113.10` and read the lines just before the error. ## Next steps - Replace password logins with keys: [SSH keys](/guides/ssh-keys). - Work through the first-hour checklist: [secure a new Linux server](/guides/secure-a-new-linux-server). - Point your domain at the server: [point a domain to your server](/guides/point-domain-to-server). - Running Windows instead? See [first steps on a Windows server](/guides/windows-server-first-steps-rdp). ## Frequently asked questions ### Where do I find the IP address and root password of my server? In the welcome email we send when the server is ready. The IP address and the user name are also shown on the service page in the client area under Server Information. If you cannot find the email, check your spam folder and Email History in the account menu. ### Do I need PuTTY on Windows? No. Windows 10 and Windows 11 include the OpenSSH client, so you can run ssh in Windows Terminal or PowerShell. PuTTY is still a good choice if you prefer a graphical program that saves your sessions. ### Why does nothing appear when I type my password? SSH and PuTTY never show the characters of a password, not even as dots. Type or paste it and press Enter. If it is rejected, paste it again carefully, without spaces at the start or end. ### Is it safe to answer yes to the host key question? On the first connection it is normal, because your computer has not seen this server before. For the best protection, compare the fingerprint with the one shown on the server console before you answer yes. If the question appears again later for the same server without a reinstall, stop and investigate. ### What should I do right after the first login? Change the root password, install updates, create your own user with sudo rights and switch to SSH keys. Our guide to securing a new Linux server walks you through these steps in order. --- Source: \ Updated: 2026-10-09