Windows

Connect from Windows

Windows 10 and later have SSH built in. No extra software needed.

Password Login

1. Open Windows Terminal or PowerShell (search in Start menu)
2. Run:

ssh root@192.0.2.1

Replace 192.0.2.1 with your actual IP.

Custom port:

ssh -p 2222 root@192.0.2.1

3. First time connecting? Type yes when asked about the host fingerprint
4. Type your password and press Enter. Nothing shows on screen while you type

SSH Key Login

If you selected an SSH key when installing the OS, password login is disabled. Connect with your key instead.

Generate a Key

Open PowerShell and run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519

Press Enter to accept the default path (C:\Users\YourName\.ssh\id_ed25519). Set a passphrase if you want extra protection, or press Enter to skip.

This creates two files:

• id_ed25519: your private key (keep this safe, never share it)
• id_ed25519.pub: your public key (this goes on the server)

Add the Key to QDE

1. Show your public key:

type $env:USERPROFILE\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub

2. Copy the output
3. Go to cloud.qde.com/sshkeys
4. Click Add Key, paste the public key, give it a name
5. When you install or reinstall an OS, select this key

Connect with Your Key

If you used the default path, SSH finds the key automatically:

ssh root@192.0.2.1

If you saved the key elsewhere:

ssh -i C:\path\to\my_key root@192.0.2.1

Using a Key Generated in the Control Panel

If you generated a key pair at cloud.qde.com/sshkeys and downloaded it in OpenSSH format:

1. Save the .key file to C:\Users\YourName\.ssh\
2. Connect:

ssh -i C:\Users\YourName\.ssh\downloaded_key.key root@192.0.2.1

PuTTY

If you prefer a graphical client:

Password Login with PuTTY

1. Download PuTTY
2. Enter your server IP in Host Name
3. Set port to 22 (or your custom port)
4. Click Open
5. Log in as root with your password

SSH Key Login with PuTTY

If you generated a key in the control panel and downloaded it in PuTTY format (.ppk):

1. Open PuTTY
2. Enter your server IP and port
3. Go to Connection → SSH → Auth → Credentials
4. Browse to your .ppk file under Private key file for authentication
5. Go back to Session, click Open
6. Log in as root

Common Mistakes

Next Steps