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OPENVIST LEARN · FREE LESSONS

Prepare a practice VPS without guessing the settings

Choose a suitable learning environment and collect the details needed to connect.

Lesson 2 of 10 · About 15 minutes · Beginner · English

By the end of this lesson

Have an Ubuntu practice server, an SSH login and a place to confirm its host fingerprint.

Before you start

  • Lesson 1.
  • Access to a VPS provider account if you choose to continue remotely.

Three words to know

Image
The operating system installed when a server is created.
SSH client
The program on your computer used to connect.
SSH host fingerprint
A short identifier used to check which server you are reaching.

1. Use a practice machine

This first edition targets Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS with Bash and Python 3.12. Start on a new practice VPS rather than a machine serving customers. Provider screens, account roles and authentication steps differ, so follow your provider’s current Ubuntu and SSH setup instructions.

2. Collect your connection details

  • Server IP address or hostname, from the provider dashboard.
  • Your SSH username. The examples use learner; replace it with the account actually created.
  • SSH port, usually 22, unless your provider configured another.
  • Login method: an SSH key or a provider-supported password.
  • Expected SSH host-key fingerprint, obtained through the provider console or another trusted provider channel.

Use the provider’s supported process to create or access a regular account with sudo rights. If the provider initially gives you only root, use its documented user-setup process before the package-installation lesson. This course does not change SSH authentication, firewall settings or root-login policy.

3. Check your local SSH client

Check the client versionLOCAL · macOS/Linux/Windows PowerShell
ssh -V
What you should see · example output
A version line beginning with OpenSSH; the version number varies.

If Windows cannot find ssh, use Microsoft’s OpenSSH Client setup instructions linked below. You need the client on your computer, not an SSH server installed on your laptop.

YOUR TURN

A small check before you continue

Write down the five connection details privately. Which item tells you whether a server stopped from the dashboard still costs money?

Show a suggested answer

The provider’s billing and cancellation rules. An SSH login does not tell you how billing works.

Sources and scope

Documentation and examples reviewed 2026-10-18. Provider screens, package versions and output wording can differ. Examples show expected outcomes; they are not a claim that OpenViST connected to your server or verified your setup.