Set up your first VPS

A VPS is your own virtual server: you choose the operating system, you get full access, and you decide what runs on it. This guide takes you from ordering a server to your first login over SSH.

What you need

• An account in the panel with your billing details filled in.
• A terminal. Windows, macOS and Linux all come with an SSH client built in.

Create an SSH key (recommended)

An SSH key is safer than a password and saves you typing one. If you already have a key, skip this step.

Open a terminal on your own computer and run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519

Press Enter to accept the default location. Then show the public half of the key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Copy the whole line that starts with ssh-ed25519. You paste it into the order form in a moment. Never share the other file, the one without .pub.

Order the server

1. Sign in to the panel, open Virtual Machines and click Buy a VM.
2. Region: choose where the server runs.
3. Template: choose the operating system. If you are not sure, a current Ubuntu or Debian release is a good start.
4. Resources: set vCPU, Memory and Disk. A small server is enough to begin with.
5. Public IPv4: switch this on if you want an IPv4 address. It costs a small monthly fee. Without it the server is reachable over IPv6 only, which not every internet connection supports yet.
6. Identity: give the server a name under Display name. Set the Initial username you want to log in with, and paste your key under SSH public key. You can set a Password instead, but you need at least one of the two.
7. Language & keyboard: pick the system language, keyboard layout and time zone.

The Order summary on the side shows the monthly price as you go. Click Continue to payment to pay. The server is billed monthly, the first charge covers only the rest of the current period, and you can cancel at any time.

After payment the server is created automatically. This takes a few minutes.

Log in for the first time

Open the server in Virtual Machines. Its page shows the IP address. Connect from your terminal with the username you chose:

ssh username@your-server-ip

The first time, SSH asks whether you trust this server. Type yes. If you used an SSH key, you are logged in right away. With a password, type it when asked.

For an IPv6 address the command is the same: ssh username@2001:db8::1.

If you cannot connect

• Wait a minute and try again. A new server needs a moment to finish its first start.
• Check that you used the right username and the IP address shown on the server's page.
• Use Console on the server's page. It opens a screen directly on the server in your browser, which works even when the network or SSH does not.

First steps on the server

Update the system. On Ubuntu and Debian:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Then, before you install anything else:

• Keep logging in with your SSH key and do not share the password.
• Only open the services to the internet that you really need.
• Make a snapshot or backup before big changes, so you can go back.

Starting over

Reinstall VM on the server's page wipes the server and installs the operating system fresh. All data on it is permanently lost, so use it only when you really want a clean start.

Do you want the server on your own domain? Create an A record that points to its IP address. See Manage DNS records for your domain.