# Step 2: Log in to a server

Follow these steps on on your laptop/PC:

1. Open a terminal window on your laptop or PC to enter commands

{% hint style="info" %}

* On Windows, open the program called Command Prompt.
* On Mac, open the program called Terminal.
  {% endhint %}

2. To connect to VPS, use the `ssh` command from your terminal: 

   <pre><code><strong>ssh $USER@$REMOTE_SERVER
   </strong></code></pre>

Example:

```
ssh root@706.437.14.562
```

{% hint style="info" %}
If you’re using Windows, the SSH Client is available starting from [Windows 10](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/openssh/openssh_overview) version. For earlier versions, please use [PuTTY](https://www.putty.org/) or other alternatives.
{% endhint %}

3. When you log in the first time, you’ll see the following message:&#x20;

   ```
   The authenticity of host '$REMOTE_SERVER' can`t be established.
   ED25519 key fingerprint is SHA256:...
   This key is not known by any other names.
   Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/[fingerprint])?
   ```

Type `yes` and press `Enter`. This will prompt you to input a **password**. Note, all Linux systems don’t reveal passwords when you type them. Finish entering your password and click `Enter`.

{% hint style="info" %}
If your credentials are correct, you will see the following message:

```
Warning: Permanently added '$REMOTE_SERVER' (ECDSA) to the list of known hosts.
root@$REMOTE_SERVER`s password:
Welcome to Ubuntu 20.04.6 LTS (GNU/Linux 4.4.0-169-generic x86_64)

 * Documentation:  https://help.ubuntu.com
 * Management:     https://landscape.canonical.com
 * Support:        https://ubuntu.com/advantage

0 packages can be updated.
0 updates are security updates.
```

{% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" %}
Going forward, any time you want to log in to your VPS via the terminal, enter the command:&#x20;

<pre><code><strong>ssh $USER@$REMOTE_SERVER
</strong></code></pre>

{% endhint %}