VM access methods

Overview

There are two ways to connect to a running VM. Pick whichever fits the situation.

Method	Characteristics	Best for
Web console	Connect from the browser	A quick session with no SSH setup
SSH	Terminal-based, most general	Day-to-day development and operations

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Web console

You can open a terminal directly from the browser, without a public IP or SSH setup.

1. Under Compute > Virtual Machines, pick a running VM.
2. Click the Web Console tab.
3. Sign in with your username and password.

Web console requirements

• The VM must be in the Running state (in other states you'll see "Please try again in a moment")
• Your account must have Web Console Access permission (built-in roles all have it)
• The session TTL is 30 minutes; use the Reconnect button to re-establish when it expires

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SSH

Password authentication

ssh <username>@<public-ip>

If it fails to connect, see SSH connection issues.

SSH key authentication (recommended)

Using an SSH key instead of a password is both safer and more convenient.

Step 1: Generate an SSH key locally

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "my-eci-key"

Step 2: Copy the public key to the VM

ssh-copy-id <username>@<public-ip>

Step 3: Connect with the key

ssh -i ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 <username>@<public-ip>

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Next steps

• SSH connection issues: what to try when SSH won't connect
• Operating spot VMs: saving cost with spot VMs