On Linux there is no desktop: you log in over SSH, a text console. It sounds harder than it is, and once you are in, everything is done with commands.
What you need
Open your service in the panel. The Overview tab has the Primary IPv4 Address. The user is root and the password was emailed to you when the server was set up. If you have lost it, generate a new one from Settings → Request Password Reset.
Connecting
Windows 10 and 11, macOS and Linux all ship with everything you need. Open a terminal (PowerShell on Windows) and type:
ssh root@YOUR_IPThe first time it will ask whether you trust the server: type yes. Then it asks for the password. You will not see the characters as you type, which is normal: type it and press Enter.
The first things to do
- Update the system. On Debian or Ubuntu:
apt update && apt upgrade -y. On AlmaLinux or Rocky:dnf upgrade -y. - Change the root password with
passwd, even if the panel generated it. - Move to SSH keys, which is the change that actually makes a difference.
Logging in with a key instead of a password
A password can be guessed by brute force; a key cannot. From your own computer:
ssh-keygen -t ed25519
ssh-copy-id root@YOUR_IPFrom then on you log in without typing anything. Once you have confirmed it works, disable password logins: edit /etc/ssh/sshd_config, set PasswordAuthentication no and reload the service with systemctl reload ssh.
Do not close your current session until you have confirmed, in a second terminal, that the key works. If you get the config wrong and disconnect, you are locked out — although the panel's VNC tab is always there to get back in.
If it will not connect
- "Connection refused": the server is up but SSH is not answering. Check the status on Overview and, if needed, log in through VNC.
- "Connection timed out": you are not reaching the server at all. Usually the firewall, or the machine is powered off.
- "Permission denied": wrong user or password. Generate a new password from Settings.