What Are SSH Connections - How To Edit In PuTTY, Mac, & Linux | Bluehost Support
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What Are SSH Connections - How To Edit In PuTTY, Mac, & Linux

Overview

SSH or Secure Shell is a network protocol. SSH was designed to replace telnet and other insecure means of connecting to Linux/Unix computers. Please refer to SSH Access if you do not have SSH enabled on your account.

Different versions of SSH exist. The major versions are SSH1 and SSH2. Bluehost requires our customers to use the SSH2 protocol as it provides the most up-to-date protection and security.

SSH is most commonly used to set up secure connections to an SSH daemon running on a remote server. Common uses include securing transferring files, securely logging/remote administration of remote servers, and secure FTP.

Windows - PuTTy

PuTTy: PuTTy is a free application that can be downloaded from chiark.greenend.org.uk

  1. In PuTTY, under Session, enter your Domain Name as the Host Name.
  2. Under SSH, choose 2 from the Preferred SSH Protocol Version.
  3. Under SSH > Auth in PuTTY, you will need to specify where your private key can be found. Remember,  this is where you saved the private key on your local computer. Click Browse to locate the file on your computer.
  4. If you wish to have your username automatically sent to the server when connecting, under Connection -> Data in PuTTY, you will see a field for "Auto-login username." Type your account username there.
  5. Save your settings to be used in future sessions - Under Sessions, type a name (such as "my site") in the Saved Sessions box and click Save.

Mac - Terminal

Terminal: Terminal is an application included with all versions of Mac OS X.

  1. Open the Applications - Utility folder.
  2. Open the Terminal.
  3. Enter the following: 
    ssh username@example.com

Note: You would enter your cPanel username as the username for SSH. You can find the username in the Stats column on the left-hand side of the cPanel.

The first time you connect:

The first time you connect, you will be prompted to verify the authenticity of the host:

2:0c:5a:1f:0d.RSA key fingerprint is da:e5:96:49:99:75:d7:79:45:75:7d:6
The authenticity of host 'example.com' can't be established.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?
  1. Press Return
  2. Verify the domain name is correct.
  3. Type in Yes.
  4. Press Return
  5. Enter your cPanel password.
  6. Press Return

Note: You will not see any characters while entering your password.

Linux - Terminal

Terminal: Both Gnome and KDE ship with a Terminal application.

  1. Open Terminal
  2. Enter the following:
ssh username@example.com

Note: You would enter your cPanel username as the username for SSH. You can find the username in the Stats column on the left hand side of the cPanel.

The first time you connect:

The first time you connect you will be prompted to verify the authenticity of the host:

The authenticity of host 'example.com' can't be established.
RSA key fingerprint is da:e5:96:49:99:75:d7:79:45:75:7d:62:0c:5a:1f:0d.
Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)?
  1. Press the Enter. 
  2. Verify the domain name is correct.
  3. Type in Yes.
  4. Press the Enter.
  5. Enter your cPanel password.
  6. Press the Enter.

Note: You will not see any characters while entering your password.

If you need further assistance, feel free to contact us via Chat or Phone:

  • Chat Support - While on our website, you should see a CHAT bubble in the bottom right-hand corner of the page. Click anywhere on the bubble to begin a chat session.
  • Phone Support -
    • US: 888-401-4678
    • International: +1 801-765-9400

You may also refer to our Knowledge Base articles to help answer common questions and guide you through various setup, configuration, and troubleshooting steps.