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We recommend using SSH key authentication for connecting to your Bare Metal servers. SSH keys provide better security compared to password authentication. To set up SSH key authentication:
  1. Generate SSH keys or use existing ones.
  2. Add your public key to the Gcore Customer Portal.
  3. Select the key when creating a Bare Metal server.
WarningSSH keys cannot be downloaded again after creation. Make sure to save your private key in a secure location immediately after generating it.

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Add multiple SSH keys to a resource

To allow multiple users or devices to access the same server, add several SSH keys through the Gcore Customer Portal when creating a Bare Metal server. In the SSH key section, select multiple keys from your saved keys list. To add more keys to your account, see Add a public SSH key to the Customer Portal.

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Cannot log in as root. Permission denied error

Gcore platform images have root SSH login disabled by default for security reasons. The default username depends on the operating system. When creating a server, the portal displays the correct username in the format ssh [username]@ipaddress.
Operating systemDefault username
Ubuntuubuntu
Debiandebian
Fedorafedora
CentOScloud-user
Fedora-CoreOScore
You can also find your server’s username in the Gcore Customer Portal: go to Cloud > Bare Metal Servers, open your server, and check the information next to the Access to Console link in the format [login]@[ip-of-your-server]. After connecting with the default user, you can switch to root: 
sudo -i
InfoCustom images may have different default usernames or allow root login. Check with the image provider for specific access credentials.

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No password received via email

Gcore does not send server credentials via email. By default, Bare Metal servers only accept SSH key authentication. If you need console password access, configure a password during server creation. For details, see Set a password for a Virtual Machine.
WarningConsole passwords are for emergency access only. SSH key authentication is the recommended method for connecting to Bare Metal servers.

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Lost SSH key and cannot connect

If you lost your private SSH key:
  1. If you configured a password during server creation: Access the server via console and add a new public key to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys.
  2. If no password was configured: You will need to reinstall the server with a new SSH key.
TipTo prevent losing access, add multiple SSH keys to your server during creation or configure a console password as a backup access method.

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Incorrectly added SSH key. Errors: Connection refused.

While generating a key with the PuttyGen utility, you should keep in mind that PuTTY and OpenSSH use different formats of public SSH keys. If the public key has a format like BEGIN SSH2 PUBLIC KEY, it will not work. The key should start with “ssh-rsa AAAA…”. When creating a key from the PuttyGen utility, you can just use The OpenSSH format key that appears in the interface after generation. You should copy it from the field “Public key for pasting into OpenSSH authorized_keys file”

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No floating (public) IP address. Connection refused error

If you used a previously created subnet while creating the machine, the system allows you to create a server without a floating IP. The SSH connection would not be possible in this case, because an internal IP address is not announced on the Internet. You should add a floating IP address to the newly created machine for the connection from external networks.

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The failure to connect to the remote server with Windows OS on it. Connection error

The Connection error occurs when you are trying to connect to the remote machine with Windows OS on it. In most cases, it is due to an incorrectly selected VM connection Protocol. It is not possible to connect to a Windows OS-based server through SSH. You should use the RDP Protocol (Remote Desktop Protocol). On a Windows PC, the distribution is installed by the default.