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Connecting

Your SSH key​

Your VPS Ultra running Linux opens with your SSH key: a pair of files created on your computer. The public part is installed on the server; the private part stays on your computer and is shared with no one, our team included.

On macOS, Linux and Windows 10 or 11 (PowerShell or the Terminal):

ssh-keygen -t ed25519

Accept the suggested location and choose a passphrase. Your public key is the id_ed25519.pub file: a line that starts with ssh-ed25519. Send it to our team when you order: we install it on your server when we prepare it.

Connecting over SSH​

Your server's card, VPS section of your client area, shows the SSH connection command:

ssh root@203.0.113.20

Your server has its own IPv4 address: the connection uses the usual SSH port, 22, or the one you choose in /etc/ssh/sshd_config. Once your domain points to your server, its name works too: ssh root@app.my-company.com.

A shortcut: the ~/.ssh/config file​

Host myultra
    HostName 203.0.113.20
    User root
    IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Then ssh myultra is enough, and the same shortcut works for scp, rsync, git and your editor.

Adding or replacing a key​

Your server's keys are in /root/.ssh/authorized_keys, one per line, and you manage them yourself:

  • add a colleague: paste their public key on a new line of the file, or create their own account for them (adduser) with their key in /home/<their account>/.ssh/authorized_keys;
  • remove an access: delete their line;
  • change computer: add your new public key before removing the old one.

Your private key has gone and no key opens the server for you any more? Send your new public key to support: our team installs it on your server.

Transferring files​

# a file, to the server
scp archive.tar.gz root@203.0.113.20:/srv/

# a folder, synchronised
rsync -avz ./build/ root@203.0.113.20:/var/www/app/

SFTP software such as FileZilla or WinSCP connects over SFTP, with your server's address and your private key.

Working from your editor​

The Remote - SSH extension for Visual Studio Code opens your server's folders as if they were on your computer: it reads your ~/.ssh/config file, so you simply choose myultra. JetBrains editors offer the same connection through Remote Development.

Windows Server: Remote Desktop​

A VPS Ultra running Windows Server opens with Remote Desktop (RDP):

  1. On Windows, launch Remote Desktop Connection (mstsc); on macOS, Microsoft's Windows App; on Linux, Remmina.
  2. Enter your server's IPv4 address, shown in its card.
  3. Sign in with the administrator account provided by our team on delivery, then change its password at the first session.

Then protect your access: a long and unique password, and Remote Desktop restricted to your addresses in the Windows firewall.

Frequently asked questions​

"Permission denied (publickey)": what should I check?​

  1. The key used is the one you sent us: ssh-keygen -lf ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub displays its fingerprint.
  2. Your command uses the user root and the address from your card.
  3. If your key has another name, specify it: ssh -i ~/.ssh/my_key root@....

Then describe the situation to support, with the command you ran and the message you got: Full-Stack Assistance helps you restore access.

My connection drops when I stay idle.​

Add ServerAliveInterval 60 to your block in ~/.ssh/config, and run long commands in tmux or screen, which keep them alive even when you are disconnected.