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How to connect to your VPS via SSH ​

Your new DataPasa server has no desktop to click through. You control it remotely over SSH, an encrypted terminal connection available on every modern computer. Below: where to get the login details, the command to run on your system, and what to do in the first few minutes.

Find the IP address and root password ​

Both are in the control panel:

  1. Go to cloud.datapasa.com, then Cloud Servers.
  2. Check that the status reads ACTIVE. Until then the machine will not answer.
  3. Take the address from the IP column.
  4. Reveal or copy the password in the Root password column.

We never email this password, so the panel is the only place to look.

Connect from macOS or Linux ​

Start Terminal and enter:

bash
ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

A first connection brings up a question about the server fingerprint. Answer yes, then paste the password. Seeing no characters appear as you paste is expected.

Connect from Windows ​

Windows 10 and 11 ship with an SSH client, so nothing needs installing. In PowerShell or Windows Terminal the command is identical:

bash
ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Would rather use a window with fields? In PuTTY, put the IP into Host Name, leave the port at 22, press Open and sign in as root.

Update the system ​

Your first job on a fresh machine is installing pending updates. For Ubuntu or Debian:

bash
apt update && apt upgrade -y

For AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux or CentOS:

bash
dnf upgrade -y

Log in with an SSH key instead of a password ​

Any public IP gets constant login attempts from automated scanners, and a weak password is what they hope to find. Switching to a key removes that risk. The steps below are the quick path, and how to set up SSH keys covers the details.

  1. Generate a key pair on your own computer, unless you already have one:

    bash
    ssh-keygen -t ed25519

  2. Install the public part on the server:

    bash
    ssh-copy-id root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

    Windows has no ssh-copy-id, so use this in PowerShell:

    bash
    type $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub | ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP "mkdir -p ~/.ssh && cat >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys"

  3. Connect again. No password prompt means the key works.

  4. Now turn passwords off: change PasswordAuthentication to no in /etc/ssh/sshd_config, then apply it:

    bash
    systemctl restart ssh || systemctl restart sshd

Test before you log out

Leave your existing session open and try the key from a second window. Locked out anyway? The console in VMmanager still lets you in.

Common connection errors ​

ErrorWhat it usually means
Connection timed outProvisioning has not finished, or the status is SUSPENDED after the balance reached zero. See hourly billing.
Connection refusedNothing is listening on port 22. Use the VMmanager console to look at the SSH service and its port.
Permission deniedThe password did not match. Copy it from the panel once more and watch for stray spaces.
REMOTE HOST IDENTIFICATION HAS CHANGEDYour computer remembers a different server at this IP. Clear the old entry with ssh-keygen -R YOUR_SERVER_IP and retry.