Connect via SSH

TIR Virtual Machines are accessible over SSH using the IP address assigned to your VM. This guide covers initial connection, key management, and common access patterns.

Prerequisites

Before connecting, verify:

• VM status is Running (visible on the VM Details page)
• A Security Group with port 22 open is attached to the VM
• You have the private key (.pem) corresponding to the SSH key attached at launch

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1. Find Your VM's IP Address

1. Navigate to Virtual Machines in the TIR portal.
2. Click your VM name to open the VM Details page.
3. Copy the IP Address shown under the Connection section.

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2. Connect via SSH

Open your terminal and run:

ssh root@<VM_IP_ADDRESS>

Example:

ssh root@203.0.113.42

info

The default username for all TIR VM images is root. Password-based login is disabled — only SSH key authentication is accepted.

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3. Add or Rotate SSH Keys

TIR VMs run an SSH sync agent that watches for key updates and applies them live, without restarting the VM. This means you can add, remove, or rotate SSH keys at any time.

Add a New SSH Key

1. In the TIR portal, navigate to your VM's Details page.
2. Click the Network & Security Tab tab.
3. Click on Configure SSH then select existing key from your account or upload a new public key.
4. Click Update.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely Cause	Fix
Connection refused	Port 22 not open	Attach a Security Group with an inbound rule for port 22
Permission denied (publickey)	Wrong key or username	Verify you are using root and the correct .pem file
WARNING: UNPROTECTED PRIVATE KEY FILE	Key file permissions too open	Run chmod 400 <key.pem>
Host key verification failed	IP reused after VM recreate	Run ssh-keygen -R <VM_IP> to clear the known hosts entry
VM shows Running but SSH hangs	VM still finishing first-boot setup	Wait 30–60 seconds after status changes to Running