Setting Up Your VPS for the First Time

Overview

When your VPS is provisioned, it does not have an operating system installed. Your server will not respond to ping or SSH until you complete the initial setup. This guide walks you through choosing an OS, getting your credentials, and connecting for the first time.

What You Need

• Your welcome email with the subject "Set Up Your [product name]"
• Access to your Client Area
• An SSH client (built into macOS/Linux, or the built-in client in Windows 10/11)

Step 1: Open the VPS Panel

Click the Set Up Your Server button in your welcome email, or log in manually:

1. Go to your Client Area
2. Navigate to Services > My Services
3. Click on your VPS product name
4. Click VPS Panel to open the management dashboard

Step 2: Choose and Install an Operating System

On first access, you will be prompted to select an operating system. Available options include:

• Ubuntu (LTS versions — recommended for most users)
• Debian
• AlmaLinux
• Rocky Linux
• CentOS
• Fedora
• openSUSE
• Oracle Linux
• Windows Server (2019, 2022, 2025) — Bring-Your-Own-Licence (BYOL)

Select your preferred distribution and version, then confirm. Installation typically completes within 2–5 minutes.

You can also add an SSH public key during setup. If provided, it will be installed automatically, allowing you to connect without a password.

Step 3: Note Your Credentials

Once the OS installation completes, the VPS Panel will display:

• Server IP address — your public IPv4 address
• Root password — your initial login password (if no SSH key was provided)

Save these securely. You will need them to connect via SSH.

Step 4: Connect via SSH

Open a terminal (macOS/Linux) or Command Prompt/PowerShell (Windows 10/11) and run:

ssh root@YOUR_SERVER_IP

Enter the root password when prompted, or if you added an SSH key during setup, you will be authenticated automatically. On your first connection, you will see a fingerprint warning — type yes to continue.

Step 5: Update Your System

Once connected, update your system packages immediately:

Ubuntu / Debian:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

AlmaLinux / Rocky Linux / CentOS / Fedora:

dnf update -y

Recommended Next Steps

1. Change the root password — run passwd and set a strong password
2. Create a non-root user — avoid using root for daily tasks
3. Set up a firewall — see How to Set Up a Basic Firewall (UFW)
4. Enable SSH key authentication — if you did not add a key during setup, configure it now for improved security
5. Deploy your application — install your web server, database, or other software

Troubleshooting

If you are still unable to connect after completing the OS setup, open a support ticket.