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A Linux computer can take a standard SSH connection: OpenSSH, an editor’s remote mode, an agent app, or any tool that asks for a host, a port, a user and a key. This is not the same as orgo ssh in the CLI. orgo ssh opens a terminal over a WebSocket and needs no SSH key. Direct SSH, on this page, is a plain SSH server you connect to over TCP.
Direct SSH is for Linux computers. Mac, Windows, Android and iPhone computers don’t have it.

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Turn it on

  1. Open the computer’s settings: Computer settings in the computer’s ⋯ menu, or Settings in its menu in the computer list. Then choose SSH.
  2. Paste your public key (the contents of a .pub file, for example ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub). Never paste the private key.
  3. Click Enable SSH.
The tab then shows the command to connect:
Copy it as shown. The host is the address of the server your computer runs on, and the port is your computer’s own.
Use the port the SSH tab shows. Port 22 on that address is not your computer.
If you see Key saved. Restart to activate it., or the tab says Restart this computer to activate SSH, then reopen this tab., restart the computer once (Restart in the computer’s ⋯ menu), then reopen the SSH tab. The key is in place after the restart. Don’t have a key yet? The tab’s Find or create a key section has the commands. You can also run:

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Connect from another tool

Tools that ask for an SSH endpoint want these values:

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What to know

  • You log in as root, with your key.
  • Accepted keys: ssh-ed25519, ssh-rsa, ecdsa-sha2-* and the security key types sk-ssh-ed25519@openssh.com and sk-ecdsa-sha2-*@openssh.com. To allow more than one key, paste one key per line (16 KB at most).
  • Changing keys: under Manage access, Update key replaces the keys on the computer with the ones you paste. If you’re asked to restart, the old keys keep working until you do.
  • Turning it off: under Manage access, Disable SSH removes your keys from the computer (/root/.ssh/authorized_keys, including any keys you added there yourself). Turning SSH back on means pasting the key again.
  • Who can turn it on: the workspace owner and members who can edit. View only members and share link guests can’t.
  • Check the tab after a move. If your computer moves to another server, its host and port can change. The SSH tab always shows the current command.
  • Asleep computers don’t take connections. SSH works again once the computer wakes.

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From the API

The same settings are available by API key:

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Troubleshooting

Permission denied (publickey): open Manage access in the SSH tab, paste your public key again and click Update key. If you’re asked to restart, restart once. Check that you connect with the matching private key (ssh -i ~/.ssh/<key> -p <port> root@<host>). Connection refused or a timeout: make sure you use the port from the SSH tab, not 22, and that the computer is running. Still stuck? Send us the output of ssh -v -p <port> root@<host> and we’ll take a look.