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SSHLinuxAccess5 min read

First SSH access to your Linux VPS

Connect to your Linux VPS for the first time via SSH, accept the server fingerprint, and navigate the system.

Once Baires Host provisions your Cloud VPS, you receive credentials by email. Follow these steps to connect for the first time.

Prerequisites

  • Public IP of your VPS (found in the Baires Host panel)
  • Username and password provided by email
  • An SSH client (Terminal on Linux/macOS, Windows Terminal or PuTTY on Windows)

Step 1 — Connect via SSH

Open your terminal and run:

bash
ssh root@YOUR_VPS_IP

The first time you connect, the system asks you to accept the server fingerprint:

terminal
The authenticity of host 'YOUR_IP' can't be established.
ED25519 key fingerprint is SHA256:xxxx...
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])?

Type yes and press Enter. Then enter your password.

Step 2 — Basic navigation

Once inside, explore the system:

bash
# See your current directory
pwd

# List files
ls -la

# View system information
uname -a
cat /etc/os-release

# Check disk usage
df -h

Step 3 — Change the root password

For security, change the default password immediately:

bash
passwd

Enter the new password twice. Use a strong password with at least 16 characters.

Next steps

We recommend creating a user with sudo permissions and disabling direct root SSH access. See the guide "Create a user with sudo permissions".

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