How to Connect to a Linux VPS (Beginner Guide)

What You Need

Connecting from Mac

Mac has SSH built in. No installation required.

Step 1: Open Terminal

Press Cmd + Space, type Terminal, and press Enter. A command line window will open.

Step 2: Type the SSH Command

Replace the IP address with your VPS IP from your welcome email:

If your provider uses a non-standard port (not 22), add -p followed by the port number:

Step 3: Accept the Fingerprint

The first time you connect, you will see a message like:

Type yes and press Enter. This is normal and only appears on the first connection.

Step 4: Enter Your Password

Type your password and press Enter. You will not see any characters appear as you type — this is a security feature, not a bug. The password is being entered even though the cursor does not move.

Step 5: You Are Connected

You should see a prompt like root@your-server:~#. You are now logged into your VPS and can run commands.

Connecting from Windows 10/11 (PowerShell)

Windows 10 and 11 have SSH built into PowerShell. No extra software needed.

Step 1: Open PowerShell

Press Windows key, type PowerShell, and click to open it. A blue command line window will appear.

Step 2: Type the SSH Command

Exactly the same as Mac:

Step 3: Accept the Fingerprint and Enter Password

Same process — type yes when asked about the fingerprint, then type your password (it will not show on screen).

Connecting from Windows (PuTTY)

If you prefer a graphical interface, PuTTY is a free SSH client for Windows.

Step 1: Download PuTTY

Download from putty.org and install it.

Step 2: Configure the Connection

• Host Name: Your VPS IP address (e.g. 123.456.789.0)
• Port: 22 (unless your provider specifies otherwise)
• Connection type: SSH

Click Open.

Step 3: Accept the Fingerprint

PuTTY will show a security alert about the server's key. Click Accept to continue.

Step 4: Log In

Type root as the username and press Enter, then type your password and press Enter. You are now connected.

First Commands to Run

Once connected, here are some useful first commands:

• whoami — confirms which user you are logged in as
• hostname — shows your server's hostname
• df -h — shows disk space usage
• free -h — shows memory (RAM) usage
• apt update && apt upgrade -y — updates all packages (Ubuntu/Debian)
• exit — disconnects from the server

Setting Up SSH Keys (Recommended)

Passwords work, but SSH keys are more secure and faster. Here is the quick setup:

On Your Local Machine (Mac or Windows PowerShell)

Press Enter through all the prompts to accept defaults. This creates a key pair in ~/.ssh/.

Copy the Key to Your Server

Enter your password one last time. From now on, SSH will use your key instead of asking for a password.

Troubleshooting

• "Connection refused" — the server may not be running, or SSH is on a different port. Check your control panel for the correct port.
• "Connection timed out" — the IP address may be wrong, or a firewall is blocking port 22. Verify the IP in your hosting panel.
• "Permission denied" — wrong password or username. Reset your root password from your hosting control panel if needed.
• Password not typing — it is typing, you just cannot see it. This is normal SSH behaviour. Type your password and press Enter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Next Steps

Now that you can connect to your VPS, you can install software, set up a web server, deploy applications, or configure game servers. Check our other hosting guides for more tutorials.