---
title: "How to access your Linux VPS via SSH"
description: "How to connect via SSH to your VPS running Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux from Windows, macOS and Linux, how to swap the password for a key and what to do when the connection fails."
url: "https://redhosting.com.br/en/base-de-conhecimento/como-acessar-sua-vps-linux-via-ssh"
type: "article"
language: "en"
category: "VPS"
published: "2026-09-02"
translations:
  pt-BR: "https://redhosting.com.br/base-de-conhecimento/como-acessar-sua-vps-linux-via-ssh.md"
  en: "https://redhosting.com.br/en/base-de-conhecimento/como-acessar-sua-vps-linux-via-ssh.md"
  es: "https://redhosting.com.br/es/base-de-conhecimento/como-acessar-sua-vps-linux-via-ssh.md"
  de: "https://redhosting.com.br/de/base-de-conhecimento/como-acessar-sua-vps-linux-via-ssh.md"
---

# How to access your Linux VPS via SSH

How to connect via SSH to your VPS running Ubuntu, Debian, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux from Windows, macOS and Linux, how to swap the password for a key and what to do when the connection fails.

- RedHosting knowledge base guide — category: VPS
- HTML page: https://redhosting.com.br/en/base-de-conhecimento/como-acessar-sua-vps-linux-via-ssh
- Published on: 2026-09-02 · Language: en

A Linux VPS has no desktop: you manage the machine from the terminal, connected via SSH. It's an encrypted protocol already installed on every current system, and connecting boils down to a single command.

## 1. What you need

The three pieces of information the VirtFusion panel emailed you when the installation finished:

- The VPS's **IP address**.
- The **username**, which on a fresh install is `root`.
- The **password** generated during installation.

If the VPS doesn't have a system installed yet, start with [How to activate your VPS and choose the operating system](/en/base-de-conhecimento/como-ativar-sua-vps-e-escolher-o-sistema-operacional).

## 2. Connecting

The command is the same on all three systems. Open **PowerShell** or **Command Prompt** on Windows, or **Terminal** on macOS and Linux, and type:

```
ssh root@YOUR_IP
```

Replacing `YOUR_IP` with your VPS's address. On the first connection you'll be asked about the host's authenticity, with a long string of characters. That's SSH recording the machine's identity so it recognizes it next time. Type `yes` and press Enter.

Then it asks for the password. **The terminal shows nothing while you type** — not even asterisks. That's on purpose. Type or paste the password and press Enter.

  💡**Tip**: On Windows, pasting in the terminal is a right-click, not Ctrl+V. In PowerShell, Ctrl+V also works in recent versions.

If you prefer a graphical interface on Windows, **PuTTY** still works: enter the IP under **Host Name**, leave the port at **22** and click **Open**.

## 3. Changing the root password

The password generated by the panel is for your first login. Change it as soon as you're in:

```
passwd
```

The command asks for the new password twice, also without showing what you type.

## 4. Replacing the password with an SSH key

Passwords are the weakest method: an IP exposed to the internet gets thousands of automated login attempts a day, all of them trying passwords. An SSH key can't be guessed and also spares you from typing anything on each connection.

On **your computer** — not the VPS — generate the key pair:

```
ssh-keygen -t ed25519
```

Accept the default path and set a passphrase for the key if you want an extra layer. Then send the public key to the VPS:

```
ssh-copy-id root@YOUR_IP
```

On Windows, where `ssh-copy-id` may not exist, the equivalent is:

```
type $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub | ssh root@YOUR_IP "mkdir -p ~/.ssh && cat >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys"
```

From then on, `ssh root@YOUR_IP` logs in without asking for a password. With the key working, disable password login by editing `/etc/ssh/sshd_config`:

```
PasswordAuthentication no
```

And reload the service with `systemctl restart sshd`.

  ⚠️**Warning**: Only disable passwords after confirming, in a second terminal window, that the key works. Disabling it first locks you out — and your only way back in becomes the panel's VNC console.

## 5. When the connection fails

### "Connection refused"

The VPS responded, but nothing is listening on port 22. Either the SSH service is stopped, the port was changed, or the firewall is blocking it. Log in through VirtFusion's **VNC console** and check with `systemctl status sshd`.

### "Connection timed out"

There was no response at all. The VPS is off, still installing, or the firewall drops the packet without replying. Check in the panel that the status is **Running**.

### "Permission denied (publickey,password)"

The IP and port are right; the credentials aren't. Check that the username is `root` and that the whole password was copied, with no trailing space. If it was lost, generate a new one in VirtFusion.

### "REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED"

This warning appears after reinstalling the system: the machine is the same, but its identity changed. Remove the old record and connect again:

```
ssh-keygen -R YOUR_IP
```

## 6. First commands on a new VPS

Update the system before anything else. On Ubuntu and Debian:

```
apt update && apt upgrade -y
```

On AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux and CentOS:

```
dnf upgrade -y
```

This is the step that closes the flaws already fixed since the system image was built.

## Need help?

Open a ticket at [financeiro.redhosting.com.br](https://financeiro.redhosting.com.br) or contact support on WhatsApp at **+55 11 98833-3902**, 24 hours a day, in Portuguese, English, Spanish and German.

## Frequently asked questions

**What's the default username on a Linux VPS?**

`root`, on a fresh install. The IP and password come in the email the panel sends when the installation finishes.

**Why doesn't the terminal show anything when I type the password?**

That's on purpose: SSH doesn't even show asterisks. Type or paste as usual and press Enter.

**How do I connect via SSH on Windows?**

Open PowerShell and use `ssh root@YOUR_IP` — the client comes preinstalled on Windows. PuTTY is still a graphical alternative.

**What does "Connection refused" mean?**

The VPS responded, but nothing is listening on port 22 — SSH service stopped, port changed or firewall blocking. The panel's VNC console fixes it, since it doesn't depend on network configuration.

**I got "REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGED". Is it an intrusion?**

Almost never. The warning is expected after reinstalling the system: the machine is the same, but its identity changed. Run `ssh-keygen -R YOUR_IP` and connect again.

## Navigation — VPS (article 3 of 6)

- Previous article: [How to access your Windows VPS via RDP](https://redhosting.com.br/en/base-de-conhecimento/como-acessar-sua-vps-windows-via-rdp.md) — https://redhosting.com.br/en/base-de-conhecimento/como-acessar-sua-vps-windows-via-rdp
- Next article: [How to reinstall your VPS's operating system](https://redhosting.com.br/en/base-de-conhecimento/como-reinstalar-o-sistema-operacional-da-vps.md) — https://redhosting.com.br/en/base-de-conhecimento/como-reinstalar-o-sistema-operacional-da-vps
- Back to the knowledge base: https://redhosting.com.br/en/base-de-conhecimento

---

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