How to Connect to Your Omnixia Instance Using SSH

This guide explains how to securely connect to your Omnixia instance using SSH, covering steps for Windows, macOS, and Linux users. We'll also explain how to save the provided private key text as a file.

Step 1: Save the Private Key Provided on the Website

  1. When you receive the private key in text format:
    • Copy the entire key (including the -----BEGIN PRIVATE KEY----- and -----END PRIVATE KEY----- lines).
  2. Open a text editor (e.g., Notepad on Windows, TextEdit on macOS, or nano on Linux).
  3. Paste the key into the editor.
  4. Save the file with a .pem extension. For example:
    • Windows: OmnixiaDefaultKey.pem
    • macOS/Linux: ~/Keys/OmnixiaDefaultKey.pem

⚠️ Ensure the file does not have additional extensions like .txt. This can interfere with its usage.

Step 2: Set Up Your System for SSH Access

On macOS and Linux:

  1. Open the terminal.

  2. Navigate to the directory where you saved the .pem file.

  3. Use the following command to secure the private key:

     
    sudo chmod 400 /path/to/private-key.pem

    Replace /path/to/private-key.pem with the path to your key file.

    Example:

     
    sudo chmod 400 ~/Keys/OmnixiaDefaultKey.pem

On Windows (Using PuTTY):

PuTTY does not directly use .pem files. You need to convert the key to a PuTTY-compatible .ppk file using PuTTYgen.

  1. Download PuTTY and PuTTYgen

  2. Convert .pem to .ppk:

    • Open PuTTYgen.
    • Click Load and select the .pem file you saved earlier.
    • Click Save private key and save the file as OmnixiaDefaultKey.ppk.

  3. Connect to Your Instance:

    • Open PuTTY.
    • In the Host Name (or IP address) field, enter the public IP address of your instance.
    • In the Category pane, navigate to Connection > SSH > Auth.
    • Under Private key file for authentication, browse and select your .ppk file.
    • Click Open to start the session.
    • Use the appropriate username (e.g., ubuntu, centos) when prompted.

Step 3: Connect to Your Omnixia Instance

macOS and Linux:

Run the SSH command:

ssh -i /path/to/private-key.pem username@public-ip-address

Windows with Command Prompt/PowerShell:

You can also use OpenSSH if it's installed:

  1. Open Command Prompt or PowerShell.
  2. Run the same SSH command as above.

Windows with PuTTY:

Follow the PuTTY steps outlined earlier.

Step 4: Replace the Placeholders

  • /path/to/private-key.pem: Full path to the .pem file (on macOS/Linux) or .ppk file (on Windows with PuTTY).
  • username: Based on the instance type:
    • Ubuntu: ubuntu
    • CentOS: centos
    • Debian: admin
    • Bitnami: bitnami
    • Plesk: ubuntu
    • cPanel & WHM: centos
  • public-ip-address: Public IP of the instance, available in your Omnixia console.

Examples of SSH Commands

  1. Absolute Path (macOS/Linux):

     
    ssh -i /Users/user/Keys/OmnixiaDefaultKey.pem ubuntu@192.0.1.0

  2. Relative Path (macOS/Linux):

     
    ssh -i ./OmnixiaDefaultKey.pem ubuntu@192.0.1.0

  3. PuTTY on Windows: Use the .ppk file and connect using PuTTY's interface.

Tips and Troubleshooting

  1. File Permissions:

    • On macOS/Linux, ensure the .pem file permissions are correct:
       
      ls -l /path/to/private-key.pem
      The output should show permissions as -r--------.

  2. Verify the IP Address:

    • Double-check the public IP address in your Omnixia console.

  3. Incorrect Key Error:

    • Ensure the key is saved correctly and matches the format provided.

  4. PuTTY Connection Issues:

    • Verify the .ppk file was properly generated.
    • Ensure the public IP is correct and the instance is running.
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