Connect to cloud instances (via SSH)

If you already have your instance details and SSH private key set up correctly, you can connect using the command below.

You can find your instance IP address in Compute> Instances.

Run the following command in your terminal:

ssh -i /path/privatekey.pem username@ip-address

Replace username with the default username for your instance image. Do not use root unless you have configured root login yourself.

Example:

ssh -i ~/.ssh/mykey.pem ubuntu@154.65.100.23

You will then be logged into your instance.

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

• Image Name (to determine the default username)
• Public IP address (IPv4 or IPv6)

Note: If you are using an IPv6 address and the connection fails, try the IPv4 address instead. Some Internet Service Providers do not support IPv6 connectivity. 

Note: Private IP addresses cannot be reached directly from the internet. To connect from the internet, the instance needs either a public network interface or a floating IP.

Steps

1. 1
   Navigate to Compute → Instances
2. 2
   Locate your instance in the table.
3. 3
   Find the Image Name.
4. 4
   Find the public IP address.

Each operating system image uses a default username.

When connecting for the first time, you must log in using the default username for the instance image. This user has sudo/root privileges on the instance.

The default username is not usually root. Use the username for the image you selected when creating the instance.

These are the default usernames for the xneelo Cloud public images.

If you are using a different operating system image, the default username may differ.

Your instance must allow port 22 (SSH) inbound traffic.

The default security group already includes a rule allowing SSH access.

If your instance is using a custom security group, ensure it includes a rule allowing:

• Protocol: TCP
• Port: 22
• Direction: Ingress

If the rule restricts traffic to a specific IP address or range, ensure your current IP address is allowed.

Follow the steps to manage security groups

When creating the instance, you assigned a key pair. The key pair is used to securely connect to your instance via SSH.

The public key is stored on the instance, you should have the private key stored on your computer.

Xneelo does not store your private key and cannot recover it if it is lost. Store it securely, such as in an encrypted password manager or secure key store. 

Example location:

~/.ssh/mykey.pem

This should be the fully-qualified path to the location on your computer, including the file type (default .pem).

Your private key must have restricted permissions before it can be used for SSH.

Steps

On Linux:

1. 1
   Run the following command in your terminal:

chmod 400 privatekeyname.pem

On Windows:

1. 1
   Open File Explorer and right-click on the .pem file.
2. 2
   Select Properties > Security tab and choose Advanced.
3. 3
   Choose Disable inheritance.
4. 4
   Remove access to all users except for the current user.

We recommend using OpenSSH, which is included by default on macOS, Linux, and Windows 10 or later.

Steps

1. 1
   Run the following command in your terminal:

ssh -i /path/privatekeyname.pem username@ip-address

• /path/privatekey.pem – private key file location
• username – default username
• ip-address – public IP address.

Example:

ssh -i ~/.ssh/mykey.pem ubuntu@154.65.100.23

1. 2
   A connection attempt will be made to the instance.
2. 3
   The first time you connect, you may see:

The authenticity of host can't be established.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting?

1. 4
   Type yes and press Enter to add the server to your known hosts list.

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

Your private key must be converted to .ppk format using PuTTYgen.

Steps

1. 1
   Open the Session section.
2. 2
   In the Host Name field, enter your instance details – username@ip-address.
3. 3
   In the Port field set the value to 22.
4. 4
   In the Connection type field select SSH.
5. 5
   Open the Connection section.
6. 6
   Open the SSH section and select Credentials.
7. 7
   Browse and select the private key file (.ppk file).
8. 8
   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.