Getting started with SSH Tutorial - Connecting to your server with SSH

Secure Shell (SSH), sometimes known as Secure Socket Shell, is a UNIX-based command interface and protocol for securely getting access to a remote computer. It is widely used by network administrators to control Web and other kinds of servers remotely. SSH is actually a suite of three utilities - slogin, ssh, and scp - that are secure versions of the earlier UNIX utilities, rlogin, rsh, and rcp. SSH commands are encrypted and secure in several ways. Both ends of the client/server connection are authenticated using a digital certificate, and passwords are protected by being encrypted. SSH uses RSA public key cryptography for both connection and authentication. Encryption algorithms include Blowfish, DES, and IDEA. IDEA is the default.

The server you are connecting to must be running SSH, and you must be running a secure shell client on your own machine as well, more details on getting a secure shell client are below.

Step 1) Download the SSH client on your local machine, we are assuming you’re using Windows. If not then see other PuTTY download options here: http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/download.html

Windows PuTTY Download
http://the.earth.li/~sgtatham/putty/latest/x86/putty.exe

Step 2) Save the file to your desktop and double click it.

Step 3) You should see a something that looks like this, asking you what server you want to connect to.
Click for larger screenshot


Step 4) Enter your servers IP and click on Open.

Step 5) Enter your account’s username to connect then enter your password.
Click for larger screenshot

Step 6) Change to the root user, type: su –

That’s it! You have now logged into your server using SSH.
Now get comfortable with it and learn some shell/SSH commands in the article listed below.