Connecting to VPS or dedicated server via SSH on macOS

SSH (Secure Shell) is a secure protocol for remote server access. It lets you manage your VPS, dedicated server, or web hosting: install software, configure services, view logs, and run any commands directly from the terminal.

macOS has a built-in SSH client — no additional software is required.

Quick Setup

1. Open Terminal.
2. Enter the following command:

ssh username@your_IP

• username — the username on the server (usually root).
• your_IP — the IP address or hostname of the server.

On first connection, you’ll see a warning about the server's unknown key:

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

Type yes and press Enter — the server's key will be saved to your known_hosts file.

3. Enter the password (root or your user):

root@your_IP's password:

Once entered successfully, you’ll be in the server’s command line.

Useful Tips

• If you connect to the same server often, add an alias to your ~/.zshrc (or ~/.bash_profile):

alias myserver="ssh root@your_IP"

After that, connect with a single command: myserver.

• For passwordless login using SSH keys — set them up following the guide: Setting up SSH key authentication on the server.