SSH Access

SSH Access

This interface provides information about how to connect to another web server via the SSH (secure shell) network protocol.

The SSH (secure shell) network protocol allows you to connect to another web server over the Internet via a command line interface (CLI). You can use this network protocol to remotely manage your server, configure CGI scripts, and perform other tasks.

Many modern operating systems, such as Mac® OS X and Linux distributions, include SSH. If you use Microsoft Windows® to connect to your server, you must use an SSH client, such as PuTTY, to log in to your server.

Many Unix-based operating systems include standardized commands. For a list of standardized Unix-based (POSIX) commands, visit the One-Serve website.

Note:

Not all hosting providers allow shell access.

Connect to your server via SSH

The following sections describe how to connect to your server via various SSH clients.

To use PuTTY to connect to your server via SSH, perform the following steps:

  1. Download and install the PuTTY client.
  2. From the Windows Start menu, open the client.

  3. In the Session interface, enter the hostname or IP address of the server in the Host Name (or IP address) text box.

  4. Enter the Port number in the Port text box.

    Note:

    Make certain that you select the SSH protocol.

  5. Click Open.
  6. Enter root as the login name.
  7. Enter the root password.
 

Manage SSH keys

This section of cPanel's SSH Access interface allows you to create, import, manage, and remove SSH keys. The system will use these keys when you confirm that a specific computer has the right to access your website’s information with SSH.

Generate a New Key

Use this section of the interface to create new SSH key pairs, which include a public key and a private key.

To generate a new SSH key pair, perform the following steps:

  1. Click Generate a New Key.

  2. To use a custom key name, enter the key name in the Key Name (defaults to id_dsa): text box.

    Note:

    If you use a custom key name, you must manually specify the SSH key when you log in to the server.

  3. Enter and confirm the new password in the appropriate text boxes.

    Notes:

    • The system grades the password that you enter on a scale of 100 points. 0 indicates a weak password, while 100 indicates a very secure password.
    • Some web hosts require a minimum password strength. A green password Strength meter indicates that the password is equal to or greater than the required password strength.
    • Click Password Generator to generate a strong password. For more information, read our Password Generator documentation.
  4. Select the desired key type.
    • DSA keys provide quicker key generation and signing times.
    • RSA keys provide quicker verification times.

  5. Select the desired key size.

    Note:

    Greater key sizes are more secure, but they result in larger file sizes and slower authentication times.

  6. Click Generate Key. The interface will display the saved location of the key.

    Important:

    For the new SSH key to function, you must authorize the SSH key. For more information, read the Manage your keys section.

Import Key

To import an existing SSH key, perform the following steps:

  1. Click Import Key.

  2. To use a custom key name, enter the key name in the Enter a name for this key (defaults to id_dsa) text box.

    Important:

    If you use a custom key name, you must manually specify the SSH key when you log in to the server.

  3. Paste the public and private keys into the appropriate text boxes.

  4. Click Import.

Manage your keys

The Public Keys and Private Keys tables display the following information about your existing keys:

Column
Description
Name The key's name. Public and private keys use the same key name.
Authorization Status

Whether you authorized the key.

Important:

You must authorize new keys before you attempt to use them.

Note:

This column only displays in the Public Keys table.
Actions

You can perform the following actions:

  • Delete Key — Click to delete the key, and then click Yes to confirm that you wish to delete the key.
  • View/Download Key — Click to view or download the key. To download the key, save the contents of the Public SSH Key text box to your computer.

  • Manage Authorization — Click to manage authorization for the key. A new interface will appear. Click Authorize to authorize the key, or Deauthorize to deauthorize the key.

    Notes:

    • You can only perform this action for public keys.
    • After you deauthorize a key, that key's users cannot log in with the associated private key.
 
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