Getting started with a VPS

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Getting started with a VPS


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Objective

A Virtual Private Server (VPS) is a server that you fully administer.

Unlike a managed web hosting service, you are responsible for the following:

  • Configuration: managing and setting up your server.
  • Security: protecting your VPS against attacks.
  • Maintenance: keeping the server up to date and operational.
  • Backups: regularly testing your backups to ensure data recovery.

Requirements

Instructions

To understand the management interface of your VPS and the available actions in the OVHcloud Control Panel, refer to our guide dedicated to getting started with the OVHcloud Control Panel for VPS.

Table of Contents:

Step 1: Initial connection

Linux:

When you connect to your VPS for the first time, note that the account you connect with is not root.

At OVHcloud, for security reasons and to protect our customers' services, we automatically create a username linked to the operating system you selected when you placed your order.

The exact username to use for the connection is clearly indicated in your VPS delivery email.

For example:

  • For Debian, the username will be debian.
  • For Ubuntu, the username will be ubuntu.
  • For Rocky Linux, the username will be rocky.

The temporary password associated with this account is sent to you via a secure link in your delivery email.

Important note: during your first connection, you will be asked to change this temporary password.

Once the password is changed, the session will be automatically closed. This is normal behavior. You will then need to reconnect using your new password.

ssh username@IPv4_VPS
  • Replace "username" with the user corresponding to your OS.
  • Replace "IPv4_de_votre_VPS" with the IP address indicated in your delivery email.

Windows:

Finalising the installation of Windows

Once the Windows operating system is installed, you receive an email with the default username Windows user.

You will then need to complete the Windows installation process by setting your display language, keyboard layout, and administrator password.

This is done in the VPS KVM console:

  1. Log in to the OVHcloud Control Panel and go to the Bare Metal Cloud section.
  2. Click on Virtual Private Servers and select your server.
  3. In the Home tab, click the ... button next to your VPS name in the Your VPS section and select KVM.

Find more information about this tool in our "KVM guide".

To finalise the initial configuration of your Windows VPS, follow the steps below by browsing the tabs:

  • 1. Regional settings
  • 2. Administrator password
  • 3. Login screen
  • 4. Administrator login

Once the KVM session is established, complete the initial Windows configuration by setting your country/region, preferred Windows language, and keyboard layout. Then click on the Next button in the bottom right.

KVM

Set a password for your Windows Administrator/admin account, confirm it, and then click Finish.

KVM

Windows will apply your settings and then display the login screen. Click on the Send CtrlAltDel button in the top right to log in.

KVM

Enter the Administrator password you created in the previous step and click on the arrow.

KVM

Connecting to the server with RDP

On your local Windows device, you can use the "Remote Desktop Connection" client application to connect to the VPS.

Windows remote

Enter the IPv4 address of your VPS, then your username and password. Usually, a warning message appears, asking you to confirm the connection due to an unknown certificate. Click Yes to connect.

You can also use another third-party application compatible with RDP. This is required if Windows is not installed on your local device.

If you experience difficulties with this procedure, check that remote connections (RDP) are allowed on your device by checking system settings, firewall rules, and possible network restrictions.

To facilitate troubleshooting in case of problems, we recommend enabling Windows boot logs by following our dedicated guide.

The root user is disabled by default for the security of your product.

For administrative tasks, use sudo from your main user:

sudo command

If you wish to enable root:

sudo passwd root

Step 3: Securing your VPS

If you wish to secure your VPS, we recommend following our guide "Securing a VPS". This guide walks you through the process and details the following actions:

  • Updating the system.
  • Changing the default SSH listening port.
  • Configuring the internal firewall.
  • Installing fail2ban to block repeated login attempts.
  • Backing up your system and data.

Putting your VPS online usually involves using and configuring a domain name.

For this, we recommend performing the following actions:

Go further

VPS FAQ

SSH introduction

Securing a VPS

How to recover access to the server in case of lost user password

Join our community of users.

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