Connecting to cloud instances (SSH)

Note: This tutorial applies to Linux operating systems from our public images.

In xneelo Cloud you can create instances to run your applications or services. 

To log on and start using the instance, you first need to establish a connection. This connection can be established using SSH and key pair authentication. 

By default, logging in with the root password is disabled on our Linux images. Once you have connected with SSH, you can log on and create users and passwords.

Note: If you have used another operating system (like Windows) from a custom boot source, then the process of connecting to your instance will likely differ. Our help guides and customer support is limited, and you will need to manage connecting and troubleshooting yourself.


  • Allow inbound SSH traffic

    In order to connect via SSH, you will need to allow inbound SSH traffic on your instance. 

    You will need an allow rule for port 22 (SSH) ingress traffic in your security groups.

    The ‘default’ security group already has a rule to allow ingress traffic on port 22.

    If you have not used the default security group, you will need to check the security group(s) assigned to the instance and add this rule if needed.





  • Get instance details

    You will need specific details on the instance in order to connect to it. 

    Instance default username

    The default instance username is the pre-configured user account provided by the operating system when creating an instance. This user has full root privileges, allowing you to access, manage, and configure the instance.

    You will need to source the default username for your operating system. See the default instance username for Linux instances. 

    Instance IP address

    You will need to source the public IP address assigned to the instance. 

    You can use either the IPv4 or IPv6 address. 

    Note: Please check that your ISP supports IPv6. Some Internet Services Providers (ISPs) are not IPv6 enabled, and cannot route this traffic. You will need to use the IPv4 address instead.

    Steps

    1. 1
      Navigate to Compute > Instances, and find the instance in the table.
    2. 2
      In the IP Address column, the IPv4 and IPv6 addresses will be displayed.





  • Get the private key

    When creating the instance you would have assigned an SSH key pair to the instance.

    The public key will be stored on the instance. You should have the private key securely saved.

    File location

    You will need to provide the location of the private key file. This should be the fully-qualified path to the location on your computer, including the file type (default .pem).

    Note: On Windows you can drag and drop the file in your terminal which defaults to the correct path.

    Set permissions

    You will need to set the correct permissions on the private key file to connect with it. 

    You will need to edit the file to set read access to the current user. Follow the steps on how to set permissions on the private key file.





  • Connect using an SSH client

    This explains how to connect using OpenSSH, which is available by default on macOS, Linux, and Windows 10 or later.

    In this process, you will enter an SSH command and will then be logged as the default user to the root directory of your instance.

    Once you are logged in, you can proceed to add users and configure your instance.

    Steps

    1. 1
      Open a terminal window on your computer.
    2. 2
      Type in the following command:

      ssh -i /path/privatekeyname.pem username@ip-address -p22
      • /path/privatekey.pem is the location of the private key file
      • username is the instance default username
      • ip-address is the instance public IP address

      * This must be the fully-qualified file path, including the .pem suffix. If you are using Windows, you can drag and drop the file into your terminal, which will automatically add the correct path.

      1. 3
        If you generated the SSH Key using the terminal on your current computer, you can exclude the file path. Type in the following command:

          ssh username@ip-address -p22
            1. 4
              A connection attempt will be made to the instance.
            2. 5
              When prompted, type in ‘yes’ to add the instance to your unauthorized server list.





          • Connect using PuTTY

            PuTTY is a free SSH client available for download on Windows.

            In this process, you will use the PuTTY client to connect and will then be logged as the default user to the root directory of your instance.

            Once you are logged in, you can proceed to add users and configure your instance.

            Note: If you are connecting using PuTTY, your private key file will need to be converted to a .ppk file. You can use the PuTTYgen tool to convert your key to the required format.

            Steps

            1. 1
              Open the PuTTY client on your computer.
            2. 2
              Open the Session section:
            • In the Host Name field enter your instance details as username@ip-address
            • In the Port field set the value to 22
            • In the Connection type field select SSH
            1. 3
              Open the Connection section:
            • Open the SSH section and select Credentials
            • Browse and select the private key file (.ppk file)
            1. 4
              Click the Open button to connect to the instance.

            Note: If you specified a passphrase when you converted your private key, you will need that passphrase to log in to the instance.



          Assist Note

          Once you’ve connected to your instance, you can proceed to create and manage users.

          If you are having trouble connecting to your instance you can follow our guides on how to troubleshoot cloud instance connection.

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