Connecting to Your Server via SSH

3 min read

Prerequisites link

Before connecting, make sure you have:

• An active VPS or Dedicated Server with GoZen Host
• Your server’s IP address (found in your client area dashboard)
• Your root password or an SSH key pair

Connecting from Linux / macOS link

Open your terminal and run:

  ssh root@your-server-ip
  

You’ll be prompted for your password on first connection. Accept the host fingerprint by typing yes when asked.

Using an SSH Key (Recommended) link

For better security, use key-based authentication instead of passwords.

1. Generate a key pair (if you don’t already have one):

  ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"
  

2. Copy your public key to the server:

  ssh-copy-id root@your-server-ip
  

3. Connect without a password:

  ssh root@your-server-ip
  

Connecting from Windows link

Option 1: Windows Terminal / PowerShell link

Windows 10 and 11 include a built-in OpenSSH client. Open Windows Terminal or PowerShell and use the same commands as Linux:

  ssh root@your-server-ip
  

Option 2: PuTTY link

1. Download PuTTY
2. Enter your server IP in the Host Name field
3. Ensure the port is set to 22 and connection type is SSH
4. Click Open and log in with your credentials

Changing the Default SSH Port link

For added security, you can change the default SSH port from 22 to a custom port. Allow the new port in your firewall first, and keep your current session open until you’ve tested the new port from a second terminal.

  # Edit the SSH config
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

# Find and change this line:
# Port 22
Port 2222

# Check the config for errors before applying it
sudo sshd -t
  

Then apply the change. The command depends on the operating system:

  # Ubuntu 24.04 and newer (SSH is socket-activated)
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart ssh.socket

# Ubuntu 22.04 and Debian
sudo systemctl restart ssh

# AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux (SELinux must allow the new port first)
sudo semanage port -a -t ssh_port_t -p tcp 2222
sudo systemctl restart sshd
  

Test from a second terminal with ssh -p 2222 root@your-server-ip before you close the first one.

Disabling Root Login link

Disable direct root login and use a regular user with sudo privileges instead. Set up and test that user before you turn root login off.

  # Create a new user
adduser deploy

# Grant sudo access (Ubuntu/Debian)
usermod -aG sudo deploy
# AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux: usermod -aG wheel deploy, then set a password with: passwd deploy
  

From your own computer, copy your SSH key to the new user, then log in as that user in a second terminal and check that sudo works:

  ssh-copy-id deploy@your-server-ip
ssh deploy@your-server-ip
sudo -v
  

Only then turn off root login:

  # Edit SSH config
sudo nano /etc/ssh/sshd_config

# Set:
PermitRootLogin no

# Make sure no file in sshd_config.d overrides it
sudo grep -r PermitRootLogin /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d/

# Check the config, then restart SSH
sudo sshd -t
sudo systemctl restart ssh    # Ubuntu/Debian (on AlmaLinux/Rocky: sshd)
  

Troubleshooting link

Next Steps link

Once connected, you can start configuring your server:

• First Boot VPS Setup - the first things to set up on a new server
• VPS Security Checklist - harden SSH, the firewall and updates