If you are here, you are likely involved in a migration process—whether preparing, troubleshooting, or finalizing—and need to access your hosting account. This might include retrieving files, running commands, managing server settings, or transferring data securely. Below are the steps for accessing your account using SSH, tailored to your operating system:
For Windows Operating Systems
Windows 10
Recent updates of Windows 10 include the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) which provides a convenient way to run Linux commands. Installation instructions for the WSL are available here. Once the WSL is installed, you can connect to your account with SSH by following these steps:
- Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R.
- In the Run dialog box type “bash” and then click “OK” to start the bash shell.
- Type the following command at the command line. Replace username with your Hosting username, and replace example.com with your site’s domain name:
ssh -p [email protected] - Type your password when you are prompted to do so and then press “Enter”.
- When the remote server’s command line prompt appears, you are connected. The initial command line prompt is:
[email protected] [~]# - You can now run commands. For example, to see a listing of the current directory, type “Is” and then press “Enter” .
- To close the SSH connection when you are done, type exit and then press “Enter”.
- To close the bash shell, type exit and then press “Enter”.
Other Windows versions
Older versions of Microsoft Windows do not include an SSH client, so you must download an SSH client first. Hosting recommends PuTTY, a free program that you can download here. After you have downloaded the PuTTY executable to your local computer, you can use it to connect to your Hosting account.
To connect to your account using PuTTY, follow these steps:
- Start PuTTY.
- In the Host Name (or IP address) text box, enter [email protected] and replace the details with your credentials.
- Confirm the Connection type is set to SSH, and enter the correct port (default is 22, but it may vary for your host).
- Click Open and accept the security alert if prompted.
- Enter your password and press “Enter”.
- When the remote server’s command line prompt appears, you are connected. The initial command line prompt is:
[email protected] [~]# - You are now connected and can manage your server files. To exit, type exit and press “Enter”.
For Mac OS X and Linux operating systems
Both Mac OS X and Linux come with pre-installed SSH clients, making it straightforward to connect:
- Open a terminal window:
- On Mac OS X, navigate to Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
- On Linux, open the terminal from your desktop environment.
- At the command prompt, type the following command. Replace username with your Hosting username, and example.com with your site’s domain name:
ssh -p [email protected] - Enter your password when prompted and press “Enter”.
- When the prompt
[email protected] [~]#appears, you are connected. Use commands like “ls” to manage directories or execute migration-related tasks. - You can now run commands. For example, to see a listing of the current directory, type ls and then press “Enter”.
- To close the SSH connection when you are done, type exit and then press “Enter”.
Optional Configuration:
To simplify future SSH connections, create an SSH configuration file (~/.ssh/config) with the following details:
Host exampleHostname example.com
Port [port]
User username
- Host value can be any name you want; it is simply a label for the other settings.
- Hostname value is the remote host you want to access.
- Port: The default port for SSH is 22. However, Hosting uses a different port for security reasons.
- User value specifies your Hosting account username.
By mastering SSH access, you’ll be fully equipped to handle essential tasks during migration, ensuring a secure and efficient transfer of your eCommerce data. For further assistance, feel free to reach out!
- Ticket system (highly recommended)
- Email us at [email protected]
