# Connect With SSH

Manage your instance using a terminal and SSH for secure remote access.

## Prerequisites

Before connecting, ensure you have:

- IP Address: Available on the instance card or Instance Overview.
- Default Username: Depends on the OS image; see the table below.
- Authentication Method: SSH Key (recommended) or the Provisioning Password shown on the instance’s Overview tab (see below).

The table below lists common default usernames. It is not an availability catalog. Debian images use `debian` as the default username. Confirm the image and region in the portal before connecting.

### Default username by OS

| OS image | Default username |
| --- | --- |
| Ubuntu | `ubuntu` |
| Debian | `debian` |
| Rocky Linux | `rocky` |
| AlmaLinux | `almalinux` |
| CentOS | `centos` |
| Oracle Linux | `cloud-user` |
| Fedora | `fedora` |

If an image has no distribution-specific user, it may use `root`. The exact username is shown in Instance Overview. Windows instances use [RDP](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/connect-rdp), not SSH.

### Where to find the password

If you deployed without an SSH key, open the instance’s Overview tab and reveal the Provisioning Password: click the eye icon to show it, or the copy icon to copy it. Use it with the default username above. The password is a random sixteen character string generated when the instance is created. Instances created before October 11, 2026 keep their original six character password until you reset it from the instance actions.

![Virtual Machine Overview with the Provisioning Password field highlighted](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/_astro/provisioning-password.CZle7UF2_ExKHJ.webp)

## Generate an SSH Key Pair

An SSH key pair has a private key you keep secret and a public key you provide when you create an instance. Create one in your terminal.

On macOS and Linux:

```bash
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "you@example.com"
```

Press Enter to accept the default path (`~/.ssh/id_ed25519`), then set a passphrase when prompted. On older systems without Ed25519 support, use RSA:

```bash
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "you@example.com"
```

On Windows 10 and later, the same `ssh-keygen` command works in PowerShell. The keys land in `%USERPROFILE%\.ssh\`.

Print the public key to copy it:

```bash
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
```

You add the public key when you create the instance: in Server Settings, click Add now beside Add SSH Key To Your Instance. In the dialog, either enter a key name and paste your public key, or select an existing key. Keep the private key (`~/.ssh/id_ed25519`) private and never share it.

## Connecting

Open a terminal (Command Prompt/PowerShell on Windows, built-in terminal on macOS/Linux).

With SSH Key:

```bash
ssh -i /path/to/your/private/key username@ip_address
```

With password:

```bash
ssh username@ip_address
```

Example:

```bash
ssh ubuntu@203.0.113.10
```

Replace `203.0.113.10` with the public IP address from the portal.

![Connecting to a VM over SSH from a terminal](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/_astro/connect-ssh-connecting.VuAaohV4_ZfbCkr.webp)

## See also

- [Connect With RDP](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/connect-rdp)
- [Console Access](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/console-access)
- [SSH Keys](https://docs.zcp.zsoftly.ca/public-cloud/compute/settings/ssh-keys)