Connecting to a Linux VM via SSH

If you do not have OpenSSH installed yet, follow this guide to install it.

1. Run cmd.exe or powershell.exe (make sure to update PowerShell before doing so).

2. Use the ssh-keygen command to create a new key:

   ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "<optional_comment>"
   

   You can specify an empty string in the -C parameter to avoid adding a comment, or you may not specify the -C parameter at all: in this case, a default comment will be added.

   After running this command, you will be prompted to specify the name and path to the key files, as well as enter the password for the private key. If you only specify the name, the key pair will be created in the current directory. The public key will be saved in a file with the .pub extension, while the private key, in a file without extension.

   By default, the command prompts you to save the key under the id_ed25519 name in the following directory: C:\Users\<username>/.ssh. If there is already an SSH key named id_ed25519 in this directory, you may accidentally overwrite it and lose access to the resources it is used in. Therefore, you may want to use unique names for all SSH keys.

Create keys using the PuTTY app:

1. Download and install PuTTY.

2. Make sure the directory where you installed PuTTY is included in PATH:

   1. Right-click My computer. Click Properties.
   2. In the window that opens, select Additional system parameters, then Environment variables (located in the lower part of the window).
   3. Under System variables, find PATH and click Edit.
   4. In the Variable value field, append the path to the directory where you installed PuTTY.

3. Launch the PuTTYgen app.

4. Select EdDSA as the pair type to generate. Click Generate and move the cursor in the field above it until key creation is complete.

   

5. In Key passphrase, enter a strong password. Enter it again in the field below.

6. Click Save private key and save the private key. Do not share its key phrase with anyone.

7. Click Save public key and save the public key in the following file: <key_name>.pub.

1. Run cmd.exe or powershell.exe.

2. Use one of the following methods to copy the key:

   • Manually. To do this, output the file contents to the screen:

     type <key_file_path>\<key_name>.pub
     

     The public key will be shown on the screen. Copy it to the clipboard.

   • Use the appropriate command:

     type <key_file_path>\<key_name>.pub | clip
     

     The above-mentioned command copies the entire content of the file, including the optional comment.

Make sure that the Windows account has read privileges on the folder containing the keys.

To connect to the VM, execute the following command in the command line:

ssh <username>@<VM_public_IP_address>

Where <username> is the VM account username. If you created the VM via the CLI, yc-user is the default user.

If you have multiple private keys, specify the one you need:

ssh -i <key_path\key_file_name> <username>@<VM_public_IP_address>

If this is your first time connecting to the VM, you will see an unknown host warning:

The authenticity of host '89.169.132.223 (89.169.132.223)' can't be established.
ECDSA key fingerprint is SHA256:DfjfFB+in0q0MGi0HnqLNMdHssLfm1yRanB********.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])?

Type yes in the command line and press Enter.

Establish a connection using the PuTTY app:

1. Run the Pageant application.
   1. Right-click the pageant icon in the task bar.
   2. In the context menu, select Add key.
   3. Select a PuTTY-generated private key in .ppk format. If a password is set for the key, enter it.
2. Run PuTTY.

   1. In the Host Name (or IP address) field, enter the public IP address of the VM you want to connect to. Set the port to 22 and connection type to SSH.

      

   2. In the tree on the left, select Connection → SSH → Auth.

   3. Set the Allow agent forwarding option.

      

   4. In the tree on the left, select Connection → SSH → Auth → Credentials.

   5. In the Private key file for authentication field, select the file with the private key.

      

   6. Go back to the Sessions menu. In the Saved sessions field, enter any session name and click Save. The session settings are saved under the specified name. You can use this session profile to connect using Pageant.

      

   7. Click Open. If this is the first time you connect to a VM, you might see a warning about an unknown host:

      

      Click Accept. A terminal window will open prompting you to enter the username of the user on whose behalf the connection is being established. Type the username that you specified when creating the VM and press Enter. If you created the VM via the CLI, yc-user is the default user.

      If all the settings are correct, the connection with the server will be established.

      

If you saved the session profile in PuTTY, you can use Pageant to establish a connection in the future:

1. Right-click the pageant icon in the task bar.
2. Select the Saved sessions menu item.
3. In the saved sessions list, select the session you need.