SSH Access & Configuration

Imagine you just created a VM in the cloud

Your server is running… but how do you actually use it?

You can’t physically touch it
It’s somewhere in a data center

Instead, you connect to it remotely using SSH

You open a terminal
Type a command
And instantly control your cloud machine

That’s the power of SSH Access

What is SSH?

SSH (Secure Shell) is a protocol that allows you to:

• Connect to a remote server securely
• Execute commands
• Manage your VM

It encrypts communication for safety

SSH Authentication

SSH uses key-based authentication instead of passwords

Two Keys

• Public Key → Stored on server
• Private Key → Stored on your system

Only matching keys can connect

Connect to VM (CLI Method)

Opens terminal access to your VM

Connect via Browser (Console)

1. Go to GCP Console
2. Open VM Instances
3. Click SSH button

Terminal opens directly in browser

Common SSH Commands

ls        # List files

cd        # Change directory

mkdir     # Create folder

sudo apt update   # Update packages

Basic Configuration Tasks

1. Install Software

sudo apt install nginx

2. Start Services

sudo systemctl start nginx

3. Check Status

sudo systemctl status nginx

1. Website Deployment

• Install server (Nginx/Apache)
• Host website

2. Backend Development

• Run APIs
• Manage applications

3. Server Maintenance

• Update software
• Monitor system

4. Troubleshooting

• Fix bugs directly on server